Star Trek Constellation: Testimony

Captain’s Log 

“Testimony” 

Time is a blur to me now, as I stand in my dress uniform, in front of a tribunal of Admirals whose steely stare is a match for my own. Alynna- no, Admiral Nechayev, is collected and distant. She seems far from our days of former camaraderie. When I served under then Commander Nechayev, in my early career, there was a feeling of accomplishment and the thrill of purpose. The missions that we took were daring and required the utmost in skill and dedication. It would not be far to say that the shape of the Officer I am today is in great part to that era. However we did not part on graceful terms. It was under her order that I found the line I would not cross, and crossed it anyway. The taste of field work, a neutral term applied to missions that were anything but, turned sour and I withdrew from the business of shadows. It is said that once you are in, you can never get out. For a time I believed I was the exception to this. Seeing Nechayev before me now, tells me that the axiom is more truth than I care for. 

Is this a test of some sort? I cannot believe it a coincidence. She would only face me now if there was a purpose that served her interests here. In the trappings of a court drama, the real mystery is not the question of whether I am guilty. I have always been so. But whether I am still useful enough to be reclaimed as a tool for her purpose, or whether I have gathered too much rust to be useful and can be thrown away. Through the recollection of the Jemison’s crew… my crew.. My leadership has once again been put to the test. The difference is that this time, I am certain that I have made the right choice, if not the correct one.  

It is Lt Conner Helmsworth who is called first to the stand, the friendly face of a young Donobulan pilot, and in fact the Officer who took command of the ship in my extended absence. He testified that I seemed rational and calm, to all appearances my normal self when I returned from the supposedly 11 days of captivity in our own holodeck. His words described the condition of the USS Takal as we answered the distress signal, and the information that we suspected a Cardassian ship involvement from the data we gathered at the site of the incident. 

After him, Lt Kehla then took the stand. There was an initial protest due to her Klingon allegiance, but was overridden by the Admirals. Our exchange doctor took us through the discovery of a missing shuttle from the Takal, and the away party that went to the Quelka home planet in order to find it. Though it is the understanding that all missions are dangerous, I have had a surplus of luck in regards to the mortality of my crew. Unfortunately for my Science Officer, Lt JG Livingston, his life was put in danger when the Cardassians that we suspected proved to be fact, they surrounded us on the planet during our search for Admiral Garve. 

Captain’s Log Supplemental

Stardate: 47513.9 

Through the superior healing skills of Lt Kehla, our science officer did not suffer a fatal injury. In fact, Kehla was able to keep Livingston alive in such dire circumstances that the Cardassians had to take note of the potential for her to help them with their own wounded. I negotiated a brief cease fire using that as leverage. To my pleasant surprise, Gul Daro was the senior officer in charge when the Cardassians took us to their place of refuge. An ancient Quelka laboratory in need of exploration. I pity my poor ship, full to the brim with survivors from the Takal and now also the Trager, as I offered the opportunity to take the Cardassians off the planet. Preventing further conflict between them and the native Quelka population. We did have a moment of tension when Admiral Garve found us in the laboratory and fired a shot toward the Cardassian that was assisting Storyteller in puzzling out the information from the Ancient Quelka. The old Telerite seemed to have been through quite a bit of stress, with the shuttle crash and all. I had him sent to the medical bay upon returning to the Jemison to be treated for the effects of radiation that the planet was inflicting on those without environmental suits.

When I returned to the ship, it seems that Commander Faren had his own bit of excitement as a creature similar to the previous one we encountered in the Helaspont Nebula, was using the Trager to fire at us, while phasing in and out of time and space here. It explained the blasts of chronoton weaponry that we had experienced prior to this encounter. The creature seemed to be somewhat augmented, in that it was designed to function as a partially biological and partially mechanical being with potential for a crew. 

Many things happened in rapid succession after this. I spoke with the shadowy figure on the holodeck, disinclined to give Section 31 the satisfaction of having my aid once more, I may have done more to injure my son’s future in Starfleet there. However I think he would approve of my actions afterward. When Admiral Garve ordered me to stand down, so that he could assume command of the Jemison, I refused. It warmed me to see Commander Faren and the rest of the crew stand behind me in this mutinous decision. Though Garve’s warning about risking the lives of my people did sit heavily on me. It led me to sending the ship away, and only having a small shuttle board the Creature in an effort to shut down the time travel ability that this creature possessed. We were successful to some degree, though it required Storyteller, and also the Cardassian spy, Nijal to remain behind in the creature to pilot it back to it’s time of origin...  

...The review of the incident during my courts martial did lead to an exoneration of the charges, however it became clear that my time to move on from the Captain’s chair had come. In spite of my promise to retire, I find myself accepting Admiral Nechayev’s offer of a position in Starfleet Intelligence, above board, this time. When I passed on good wishes to Faren, he startled me by grasping my ear in the Bajoran tradition. His new ship, the USS Pioneer should be well served by the majority of the Jemison’s crew as it has been scheduled for decommission.  

Star Trek Constellation: No Win Scenario Part II

Captain’s Log Supplemental

Stardate: 47510.7 (July 6th, 2370)

The infamous Kobayashi Maru test has given our doctor quite an interesting experience. I would stand by my offer to recommend her to Starfleet, if that is a path that she is willing to take.

Coming out of the Holodeck after what has reportedly been 11 days of captivity, Lt Kehla, Commander Faren, Storyteller, Commander T’lir and myself are all understandably confused by the event. We have lost a number of precious days, if the date of the chronoton event revealed by our research into the subject proves accurate. Storyteller, in particular, has had a bad run of luck. Sustaining several injuries as her petite frame was thrown about from the dangers of the uncontrolled environment.

The range of programs that we marathoned through included my own Lake Vioria recreational file, a small sailing ship on the calm waters of my home planet. The Priceless, a ship named in honor of my son, was only a temporary comfort. The waves of the lake overturned the vessel and lead to a separation of the crew. As mentioned previously, we needed to find a way to communicate with the other half when we received the news that we should not turn off the holodeck. Utilizing and tinkering with a combadge, Faren was able to connect through to Kehla and Storyteller. A small side note, the program that Storyteller is creating for her own personal efforts is quite an interesting experience. I am not sure of the reason she included a humanoid creature dying of an untreatable poison, however I was not able to shake the compulsion to stay with the hologram until it expired.

One more noteworthy event to mention, a shadowed figure that was not a program, but some holographic imposition into the ship, confronted us and cautioned me to move quickly in my ‘mission’. Instincts tell me that this individual is an agent of my former career path, and that the chronoton radiation has displaced the encounter. What I mean is that I have been contacted by a future Section 31 agent, and they have a concern for the security of the Federation. In the spirit of mending the tensions between myself and Commander Faren, I later shared this information with him. It is my hope that we have finally managed to earn each other’s trust and that we will face this threat, and the dealings with Section 31, together as Starfleet Officers.

Star Trek Constellation: No Win Scenario Part I

Captain’s Log

Stardate: 47480.8 (June 25 2370)

“No Win Scenario”

My hacking skills have gotten rusty. With a wounded pride I have to admit that Lt Kehla was able to complete her research into the Chronoton radiation before I have finished cracking the Preserver database. Whether she was aware of this friendly competition is of no consequence, I am beginning to feel my age. The sting was a little lessened when I invited our Klingon Doctor for hand to hand combat exercise with her D’k tahg. Playing somewhat dirty, I swept her off balance and won the match, to both of our surprise. Naivety set aside, she was interested in learning that particular move so we spent more time together and I had a bit of an opportunity to tease her about the romantic developments with our Helmsman.

There is no such thing as a casual mission. Starfleet does not send any crew out on a simple task. Be your best self, on duty and off… This is what I should have told the cadet bridge crew that took over the Jemison for a survey mission as part of the training program that our ship is used for. Instead I thought it fitting to let Commander Faren take on the task of seeing the fresh faces of the young crew at the beginning of their journey. Perhaps the reminder of that hope and idealism will be a prompt for his own internal reflections. I have resolved not to test the boundaries of his mind since the incident of the last mission, but the broken trust between us is making a mark in many small ways.

Expecting respite from the active role of the bridge, Commander T’lir requested that some senior staff meet at the Holodeck in order to review the programs that our civilian specialist, Storyteller, has created for the cadet training course. T’lir has a very mild presence for a Vulcan, her mind is not so much walled off from stray thoughts as it is so quietly controlled that I never pick up the words or notice they are there. The exception to this is when she is confronted with Storyteller’s holographic works. I have come to respect and enjoy this contrast in the cadet’s head Instructor, maybe Commander T’lir would enjoy the latest brew of Cyndriel kelp tea.

Regardless of the difference of opinion, we should test the training program in order to understand why such a great percentage of cadets are having difficulty. Things didn’t go as expected, another illustration of the lesson that I wished to impart upon the children taking over my bridge this morning. Some exotic substance related to the Chronoton radiation leaked into the holodeck circuits. Programs are mixing together with the safety setting disabled. More importantly, we received a message from the crew outside of the holodeck who are attempting to free us from this situation, warning us not to turn off the holodeck manually until they can fix the settings. Otherwise we would be dematerialized along with the currently mangled programs. Further still, Lt Kehla and Storyteller have been separated from T’lir, Faren and myself. It is imperative that we are able to pass along the warning that we have received.  

Star Trek Constellation: A Tangled Web Part II

Captain’s Log Supplemental

Stardate: 47439.8 (June 10, 2370)

Gul Daro of the Cardassian ship, Trager, is a surprisingly reasonable young man. I do not know if Commander T’lir understood my intentions in humoring the situation, but in light of my review I thought it best to try and explain in advance. The Trager was sent after the Maquis lead by Kellin Voll, just as we have been. Their people have suffered significant losses because of this terrorist cell, and the Cardassians are far less likely to give them any measure of leniency or mercy. Judging it best to cooperate and follow the wisdom of ‘keeping your enemies closer’ I authorized an exchange of information with Gul Daro. He seemed particularly surprised that I did not push back on his suggestion to be the lead investigator of the mission. Federation belligerence has a reputation well deserved.

In the end of course, compromising personal integrity does have a price to pay. My account balance on this score is so far ‘in the red’ as they say, that I fear I will never atone for the full measure. May the Gods, or the Prophets, be with Commander Faren in finding a way more true to himself than I have been.

Can I forgive him? In some ways I have not been the leader that he hoped for, resentment lingers between myself and my first officer like a line of decay on unripened fruit. Careful removal of the distrust and suspicion may yet salvage the careers that we both cling to but it will not be an easy relationship to rebuild. Let me record the mission’s events in their entirety now…

The ground mission to Sigen III was successfully lead by Commander Faren Edon. He contacted a former friend and fellow Bajoran with ties to the Maquis. Whatever personal conflicts that the Commander experienced during this time, I am not privy to, however it seemed to leave a lasting impression of confusion. Additionally the relationship of our Chief Medical Officer, Lt Kehla and our Helmsman, Connor Helmsworth; has taken on interesting courtship tensions. I look forward to seeing what may come of this in the future. During the mission, there was a physical altercation between the away team and members of the Maquis. We captured two of the three and after communicating a subspace message regarding the pursuits of the Cardassian ship, the away team returned to the Jemison with their prisoners.

Broku Doa, a friend of Commander Faren. And Rilurr, a Caitian scrubbed out of Starfleet Academy due to his uncontrolled violent outbursts. Storyteller seemed to take a particular interest in the Caitian, exchanging many insults while trying to assist in gaining information. I believe this may be Storyteller’s own particular form of courtship ritual, however the romance was ill fated, as I intended to bargain the Maquis back to Kellin Voll in exchange for the true mission goal, the Tholian Web technologies.  

During this interrogation, Commander Faren had the bridge. It was his response that took us to the site of the conflict between the Trager and the small squad of Maquis ships. Unable to bring himself to fire on the Maquis, I made the call myself when I returned to the bridge. We were so nearly successful at destroying the Tholian Web deployment fixture. That is what makes the rest of the mission all the more painful to recollect. I convinced Gul Daro to stand down temporarily while we made the exchange of prisoners for technology, it was a delicate situation that turned sour. Not because of the Cardassians, but because Kellin Voll instead sent a false piece of machinery in the Tholian Web device’s place. It was a flash of superiority and smugness as he warped away that triggered my suspicions, however we could not capture him in a tractor beam quickly enough to recover the mission objective.

The larger failure in this was that while escorting the prisoners to the transporter room, Commander Faren had access to the equipment received from the Maquis, and did not contact me as soon as the ruse was discovered. There is a reasonable argument to be made that he did not realize the deception in time, but I believe it was his internal conflict that lead to the delay. The failure however, ultimately, is mine.

As Captain of the USS Jemison, it is my duty to carry all repercussions of negligence of duty. Whatever the results of Commander T’lir’s report on my command ability, I have the responsibility to ensure the functioning dynamics of this crew. Somewhere I have gone wrong, and with great regret I have withdrawn my recommendation that Commander Faren Edon serve as my replacement in command.  

Star Trek Constellation: A Tangled Web Part I

Captain’s Log

Stardate: 47439.8 (June 10, 2370)

“A Tangled Web”

Work on both the Preserver Database and the Chronoton Radiation continues to yield breakthroughs. In particular, Commander Faren was able to make significant progress getting a handle on the shielding and possible defensive algorithms to mitigate damage from further Chronoton weapons hits. In my efforts with the Database, we unlocked the oldest files, which dated up to 200 years ago. All reports of these works are documented and sent to the respective Starfleet departments as appropriate.

Six days have passed since the incident at the Mirai Station. I have a not heard from any Starfleet Council representative, until today. Perhaps I am losing my touch, but I didn’t suspect what was to come when our orders were to rendezvous with Admiral Garve at the location of the USS Takal. I must say that I have a particular fondness for this Tellerite, although I would not call our relationship close. It is in his nature to make jokes of uncomfortable situations and so he did pay a comment to my recent experience. Were our positions reversed, I may have done the same.

That aside, I do take exception with the orders that have been issued in regards to my command. Some, and I have my guess as to who, in Starfleet Command have decided that the incident at the Mirai Station highlights an oversight on my part. My command is being questioned and monitored voluntarily by Commander T’lir. Who will then report to Commander Faren, should it be determined that I am unfit. It is a petty suspicion, but I doubt these measures would have been enacted had my Chief Medical Officer not gone so far as to call out a Regulation 121A during the whole transporter split incident. Lieutenant Kehla and I have yet to discuss this matter.

Yet, in spite of their obvious doubts, the Jemison has been personally requested to undertake a new mission. The most sensitive objective we have been given with a crew of cadets. We are to track a leader of a group of Maquis, Kellin Voll, who has somehow acquired the ability to deploy a Tholian Web. The Tholian ambassador insists this matter be dealt with quickly and by the USS Jemison. Due to the particular associations that this ship had during the Tholian war, it is of a somewhat legendary status among them.

I made it a point to clarify our primary objective with Admiral Garve, the technology of the Tholian Web is to be recovered or neutralized, the matter of the Maquis is secondary to the mission. In light of the monitoring of my command, and the personal connections that my first officer must be dealing with, it seemed a prudent point to leave my options open. I have no love for the Maquis and their actions, however I cannot in good conscious condone some of the methods of upholding their ideals, many things that I have done myself in years past. Whatever my classified history might imply, there are certainly some lines not to be crossed, we will soon discover what kind of person this Kelin Vol is.

The opportunity to issue Commander Faren an away mission with his own choice of crew has finally arrived. I do not doubt that he will show himself to be a capable leader. Should I be judged unfit for command of the Jemison, this will put him in a better position to take my place. I would much rather Faren inherit her, than any other Starfleet might issue. For his part, I do sense some personal conflict, given the subject of our mission however, that is not unexpected. His choice of team consists of Lt Kehla, Ensign Domara Ekhot, and Lt Connor Helmsworth. The last of which is an interesting young man, Denobulan and yet so eager to explore the universe that he is willing to adopt a nickname given to him in the academy as his official name. I look forward to hearing the mission report from this team. More and more I realize that the crew of the USS Jemison is an odd and unique one. It will be a bitter time when I part from her, whether that time is soon or comes later.

Star Trek Constellation: A House Divided Part II

Captain’s Log Supplemental

Stardate: 47423.1 (June 4, 2370)

The party was very lovely, before Storyteller came in and turned the hologram off. Of course a part of me realized that this was all some sort of facade, how could I not? There were no emotions or mental presence from these people, from the moment I stepped off of the transporter deck. It seemed like something to just go along with. Even if nothing that peaceful can last forever.

Being stunned by Commander Faren was certainly an uncomfortable experience. Although from what I gather, he believed that I had shot him in the back with a phaser previously. Quite curious...

The situation turned out to be even more strange than expected. Apparently having been split into two from a sabotaged transporter incident, my other self had run rampant aboard the station and made a bit of a mess with the crew and civilians. When we confronted her, I could sense immediately that the pieces were missing from each of us. With no other options, she gave in to my influence and we were taken back to the ship to be reunited.

Star Trek Constellation: A House Divided Part I

Captain’s Log

Stardate: 47423.1 (June 4, 2370)

“A House Divided”

While Commander Faren is taking a well deserved vacation on Risa. The rest of us are stocking up on supplies and handling a few housekeeping tasks around the ship. We continue to work on cracking the Preserver database, though make little progress and nothing of significance to tell of this ongoing project yet, other than the teamwork between myself and Storyteller has reached something of a comfortable understanding. The Naoian is not a subtle creature. I find this directness a refreshing change after my particular career history.

The Exchange Doctor and Lt. Livingston are considerably more productive on their investigation into the chronoton radiation event, they propose that we were hit with a weapons grade blast, especially effective at bypassing traditional shielding. I had a hunch that perhaps the shot was aimed at the Preserver ship that we first encountered in the Alkaid system, however computer projections negated this theory. In any event, neither of our long term goals have been resolved as of yet.

The latest mission is a simple resupply run. We heading toward the Mirai Station, a civil scientific research outpost near the Cardassian Demilitarized Zone. A joke running among the crew is that we should jettison the supplies toward the station and warp out to prevents ourselves from being involved in any unexpected shenanigans. I may have followed this course of action in the spirit of allowing myself some leeway to surprise the crew, however a request for introductions was made by the station's holodeck specialist, it seems that Storyteller has a fan.

Leaving the ship in Ensign Ekot’s capable hands, a selection of crew and myself left to stretch our legs on the station. While it is true that I picked the same people that have had a number of recent away missions, I intended to task Commander Faren with the oversight of the supply transfer, and the rest of us to get a day’s relaxation. Lt Kehla in particular seems to need some time away from the overly Federation environment that she resides in. And I am just looking forward to possibly picking up a new outfit at the station, it is always interesting to see what trendy fashion springs up on these places of cultural mixing.

...after arriving at the station, I am afraid that not all is as it should be. The scientists here are up to something, there are signs of Romulan and Cardassian alliance that can only mean an attempt to use this place as a foothold into the Federation territory. I am investigating this matter with considerable urgency. Although some of my own crew has failed to rise to the expectations that I have for them, the disappointment must be put aside for the greater purpose. I will deal with those who have mutinied against me once I have stabilized the situation.

Star Trek Constellation: Air and Darkness

Captain’s Log

Stardate: 47360.8 (May 12, 2370)

“Air and Darkness”

My attention is initially torn between the new orders we have received, and a brief and vague personal message sent by my husband, Ephraim. He wishes to speak with me regarding our son, Anden, though he did not give any more details. I suspect all is not well between them. I can’t speculate as to the cause of the strife, as I do not have a complete information profile collected on my son, I perhaps optimistically thought that I would not need to keep tabs on him in quite the same way I would a person of interest.

Regardless, there are other matters that need attending to. Our third mission involving the self proclaimed Preservers. One need not be Betazoid to sense the personal frustration that my crew is beginning to feel towards this particular species. I’ve made some small amount of progress on digging more data out of the recovered Preserver database, but nothing of note yet. This time, we are sent to Kappa Omicron C to observe and report on a possible Human civilization that was left behind in one of the Preservers signature actions of relocating peoples.

Upon arrival a strange ability has seemingly frozen the majority of my crew in a moment of time. Only Faren, Kehla, Storyteller and myself seemed to be free to move about as normal. This is seemingly due to the efforts of Ozwin, a human native of the planet, who considers us to be part of an otherworldly people. He wishes us to confront the person presumed responsible for the ships condition, the Witch Queen.

After setting automated instructions for the ship’s computer to follow, we begin the investigation on the surface. Though the more we uncover, the more I am suspicious of our benefactor, Ozwin.

On a personal note, I should have a discussion with my First Officer regarding the control of this mission. It was my initial intention to allow him to lead the team, until unforeseen circumstance has rather prompted my maintaining command.

Captain’s Log Supplemental

Stardate: 47360.8 (May 12, 2370)

I am Riale Chai, Lady of the Tenth House and Sion of Cyndriel. Imaging me saying this to a child of merely 18 years. Answering her challenge as if this was some kind of grand destiny. I certainly must be getting eccentric at my age. The incident of fantasy adventure concluded relatively without trouble. Storyteller, I found out later, was the cause of my not being blasted to a crisp by a lightning bolt called from previously mentioned teenagers ire.

Our initial directive was to observe the culture of this world, suspected of being established by the Preservers. We certainly managed to gather a number of first person accounts to tell. The references to ‘magic’ as an amplified psionic ability may peek the interests of some of Starfleet's scientists, but I stand by my official recommendation to quarantine this planet for at least 100 years. As it needs to reestablish itself without the use of these additional psionic partnerships with the local insectoid life. A shame truly, that I was not able to get documentation in more detail of the four-winged ‘dragon’ that I witness in the moonlight.

On a more personal nature, the opportunity to pass leadership to Commander Faren was denied to us both as the frozen in time effect got to him inconveniently. Furthermore, the combat action that Lt. Kehla engaged in on my order should be noted in her file, as I do recommend a special commendation for taking wounds in the line of duty.

Star Trek Constellation: Depth

Captain’s Log

Stardate: 47321.5

“Depth”

New orders have arrived, directing us to the Helaspont Nebula for a preliminary survey. Previous attempts have been unable to penetrate the unusually dense spatial anomaly.  The advanced sensor array of the USS Jemison is the current favorite for odds on gleaning any information from the Depths of this nebula.

Upon arrival at the Nebula, we picked up a distress beacon that led us further into the center of the beautiful, but engine challenging space. An unknown alien vessel had been partially destroyed, the hull of the ship resistant to our sensors, we will investigate with an Away Team. To be composed of myself, lieutenant Kehla, Ensign Ekot, and Cadet Emony. While the rest of the Engineering crew works on recovering our Engine power.

No survivors found on the wreckage. However there were signs of deliberate aggression and one dead body located by Kehla, our Klingon exchange officer and CMO, in the equivalent of a sickbay. The body was of a species previously seen on the so-called “Preservers” ship that we encountered in the Alkade system. Recovery of the destroyed ship’s log was attained just as local vessels began to traktor beam the debris, while I called for a jump into space that would allow the Team to be beamed aboard the Shuttlecraft, the Tigress. Afterward the aliens, who call themselves the Quelka, contacted us through the use of our holodeck and demanded the evacuation and surrender of the Jemison. They resemble in form, the bird species that was spotted on the Preservers ship, however they wear suits for environmental stability as standard, from what we are able to observe.

Captain’s Log Supplemental

Stardate: 47321.5

And they lived happily ever after… Fairy tales are a common part of Betazoid culture, as well as Human culture, from what I understand. So too the Quelka seem to have a set of stories of their own. A point that will become relevant momentarily.

The Jemison’s crew handled a multitude of tasks in the resolution of our latest adventure. My first officer who also holds the chief Engineer position, Commander Faren, found methods to defend the ship from, and even alter unfamiliar technology. Researching anomalous discordance in space and healing the injured (Kehla again). Even Storyteller, our ships civilian holographics expert, assisted with securing key information that allowed possible negotiations with the Quelka.

We learned that this race has suffered a great deal, from having been broken to near collapse by the kidnapping of vital members of it’s population (“Preservers”) to routine destruction of ships by a creature from beyond a spatial rip, known simply as The Beast. An entity that broadcasted a powerful telepathic aura that I had the fortune to become somewhat in tune with. Unfortunately my decision to aid in the extermination of this creature has perhaps dimmed the view that my crew may take of me.

Star Trek Constellation: One Giant Leap

Captain’s Log

Stardate, 47283.6

It would be an insult to call any Tellarite a ‘gracious host’. Therefore I did not extend this traditional courtesy to Admiral Garve as I departed the USS Takal on Star Base 621. Though his vessel was certainly one of the most peaceful and comfortable trips that I have experienced in my day. I found that the mindsets of a neat and orderly Admiral’s crew are a little to tame for my tastes.  So it is with an optimistic expectation that I take Command of the USS Jemison and her collection of cadets and crew. 

….Our first mission became something of a puzzle. During a routine survey of the Alkaid system, we discovered unusual material signatures coming from the one class M planet. Upon further investigation by myself and my first officer, Commander Faren, parts from the missing USS Darnel were found in a secured location by the local populace. We did not make contact with any individuals on the planet, however we secured photographic evidence just as the crew remaining on the Jemison reported contact with an unfamiliar alien vessel in orbit. 

They claim to be the people we have labeled as ‘The Preservers’ and have invited myself and my CMO over to discuss the matters of the planet below. 

Captain’s Log: Supplemental 
Stardate 47283.6

I hesitate to call the mission on Alkaid IV a complete success. Though I will note that Commander Faren performed his duties admirably, and accomplished the most necessary part of the task. 

Having confronted Captain Barix, the representative of the so called Preservers, he admitted that their interest in the planet’s inhabitants was related to the inducement of advanced technology. This quandary worthy discussion in an academic setting, was rendered rather more tangible when one considers our obligation to the Prime Directive. It is still not clear whether the non-Starfleet crew members understood the importance of actions. Or what they make of my leadership style. I do know that it was a near thing that I was beamed from the surface back to the ship before we left. 

With some lingering reservations about the cohesion of my new crew, we report the events of this mission and look forward to the next adventure.  

Remote Play

A not so subtle brag but, when you have more friends than you have space at the gaming table, you know you are a lucky Game Master. I am fortunate to be able to count myself in this category. One of the biggest reasons that I run games is because I can’t stop myself from wanting to invite everyone to play. For me, the experience is much less about telling a story than it is spending time with people both familiar and new.

My current Dungeons & Dragons Curse of Strahd adventure has grown from a regular group of 5, up to an occasional 7 player event. We finished a set piece session where the full party was present. Including the most recent attendee, who lives a few time zones away. Playing by camera, we don’t get to see his face every game, but when we do it’s always a welcome sight.

This was an impulse addition to the campaign when one of our sessions was short by a few players. We rigged up our first attempts without knowing what would work or having any experience beyond the everyday kind of remote play, where all participants are online. Soon it was clear that we needed something a bit more customized for remoting in just one player while the rest of the group was at the physical table. We have hooked up a speaker that was part of the living room entertainment center, we have used a conference room with a mounted wall TV.

Getting set up with a remote player presents a new set of challenges, especially if you are not a technically minded person in the audio and visual sense. One of my roommates, also a player in the Strahd game, took over the set up responsibilities and I couldn’t be more thankful for that. He instituted the idea of a battle camera as well, so that we can show the remote player how the tabletop grid looks, to help assist with the verbal descriptions. We’ve had hit and miss success with the battle cam; when the connection is strong and the lens is clear, it’s a brilliant addition. On the other hand, when the video quality is down, or the audio feedback unexpectedly turns on, it can be a painful experience.

Noise level was, and continues to be, the most problematic factor in the experience. It takes a very accommodating collection of personalities to be able to resist the background conversations that generate from scene to scene. My players are great at giving each a turn in the spotlight, but we also enjoy the little character building moments, which make it difficult for the player in the remote seat to track. Overall, the experiment of bringing in a long distance player was more successful than I would have guessed. It comes with some setbacks, and it’s not a model for gaming that I am eager to make a permanent fixture, but it’s good to have that knowledge on hand. We will always welcome additional players to our table, friends that can play in person and the friends that are well out of reach.

Evil Captain Chai Part II

The conclusion…

Following a classic trope of the original series of Star Trek, my character, Captain Riale Chai of the USS Jemison has been separated into two personality types. The bolder, aggressive, and decisive Captain took a bad turn when her crew began to question her motivations and took measures to suppress their actions against her. More on that later.

In this session, we also saw what happened to the calmer, more steady version of Captain Chai, who’d been transported secretly to a holodeck simulation and left there to stew until one of the crew unlocked the security on that program and found her. Things did not go well for the mild mannered Captain afterwards. Being mistaken for her unruly counterpart, she was stunned by the understandably upset first officer, who had been previously shot in the back with a phaser and hidden in some futuristic utility closet by the other Chai.

Behind the scenes, while playing the two separate personalities of my character, I had to grab onto something recognizable from her previous sessions, that would be the icon of how I saw each side of her. Her confidence seemed tied into her cool and collected behavior, while her ability to read a situation and react quickly went to the side that had a high survival instinct. I can say this all out now, with a lot more clarity of mind than when I was in the moment playing each side. My fellow players, in the end, all seemed to enjoy the experience of the session. We wrapped up the plot by having the two sides of Chai confront each other. The spotlight on me felt amplified as I tried to reconcile each side.

This was a different feeling than when I’ve been in the game master’s seat. Although I would not consider my games particularly hard, they do not shirk dangerous or deadly challenges, as some of my recent players can attest to. The difference, I think, is the team dynamic that I strive to when I get to be on the player side. Dividing myself from the rest of the players, and especially not taking it personally when they were determined to go after my character, that was harder than I figured it would be.

Opting not to draw the matter out too much, the game had gone late into the night as it was, the Captains Chai were able to reach an understanding and the rest of the crew corrected the situation with the classic transporter use to reverse the problem it had created. In the aftermath of this very in depth character adventure, I have a few things to revise on my character sheet. So much was learned, as a player and I think this has greatly affected how my character perceives her crew, which will be interesting to explore.

This kind of play, the darker side of being evil and against your own party, is not something that I will be in a hurry to repeat. It was tense, and challenging, and the payoff for the experience was worthwhile. The biggest thing I learned though, was that as a player, I get the most enjoyment from supporting and having the support of my teammates.

Budgeting Creative Energy

Whether by instinct, or by a cultivated necessity,

pacing yourself is an important skill to develop in this culture of gaming.

I speak mainly for myself, but I am sure that out there are a lot of people who have the same problem.

The having so much fun you venture into too much fun territory.

It’s easy to get addicted to that feeling of excitement and satisfaction that comes with

a game well played or a craft completed. 

Recently, I wrote of running three separate Dungeons & Dragons campaigns,
extended adventures that are focused on the characters of my players. However,
this has changed. I had to cancel one of these campaigns. It was a painfully embarrassing
failure to admit that I had over extended myself and I could not keep up with the commitments.
Self doubt and shame magnified by a former history of dropping the ball. My players were gracious
and kind, understanding when I explained the situation. It was still difficult,
because they had all been enjoying their experience so much. 

I’d been the one responsible for the promise of fun, and then the one that took that potential away.
Even so, I do not regret the decision. Nearly immediately after pulling the plug on the newest
and shortest game group, my planning for the other games kicked in hard on the heels of
the abandoned project. It was as if my mind could only handle so much processing,
and lightening the load made all the difference. 

As I face more creative projects and expand my hobby interests, I hope that the lesson will sink in
and stick with me. Time and energy all have limits, it may be a different amount for each person,
but better to learn where the limits are for yourself. Perhaps equally important is the effort of
pushing just a little past these boundaries from time to time. After all, I wouldn’t be writing a blog
about my hobbies if I just stuck to the bare minimum. At 34 years old, I am doing more,
learning more, and socializing more than I ever have. It’s time to temper the excitement of the new,
with the patience of experience. Time to settle in and really give my current interest a chance
to flourish and grow before my attention gets caught by the next curiosity. 

Wish me luck.

Love 365

The sound of rain, a few drops hit my face through the crack of window I left open last night. I glance to the soundless alarm clock by my bed: 8:13 AM. Much later than I should be up, but early enough that I don’t have to rush to get ready for a work shift that starts and runs late. I grab my phone and check to see if I have a good morning text from my girlfriend, but not this morning, so she’s probably sleeping in too. The next thing I do is log into the newest app on my phone: Love 365. (Found on Google Play and iTunes)

Love 365 is a Japanese-inspired romance game, one of the purchase-as-you-go types. It is absolute fluff, and I have to admit that I’m quickly becoming an addict.

The quality of this particular app is high. One of the better kinds of interactive stories I’ve tried. The choices actually seem to have a decent amount of impact on how the other main character reacts to you. My only qualms are that the roles of the protagonist and the types of characters you pick to romance are limited to only classic tropes. What I would really enjoy seeing in an app like this would be the ability to customize your protagonist a bit and a greater variety of choices in romantic partner. For now though, I have no complaints with this particular app. It knows its target audience and it does a great job of catering to them. The romances are enjoyable, if not exactly replayable.

How it works: first you create a profile, pretty basic information only, and then you pick the name that you would like to use as the female point of view character in the stories. This name does not change unless you go to your profile to update it. Luckily, in this app, the name can be updated if you make a typo or are unhappy with your name after trying it out. After that, you can explore the various stories and pick whichever appeals to you. The app offers a couple of free stories that change monthly; this is a great starting place that doesn’t require you to make any purchases to read through a complete chapter.

Otherwise, you can pick out a story that interests you, and then you pick the male love interest within that story. Usually there are a handful of options with classic personalities for people who are drawn to certain personality types. You can sample a few minutes of story with each choice. Here is where this app truly shines. Each pick will have a distinct storyline that you can only experience with that male protagonist. There is also a game aspect to this, as you have to learn and predict how each love interest will react to the limited choices you are given throughout the story. The goal, if you are a completionist person like myself, is to win them over to get the best ending each time. I wish that there could be more of these options integrated into the story, and that each choice has a more immediate feedback, as you don’t know if your relationship meter will rise or fall until you reach the end of the current story point.

I have always been a romance addict; this is just the newest incarnation of a lifelong fascination with fantasy. No surprise to anyone who knows me, is in one of my three ongoing Dungeons & Dragons campaigns, or has taken a look at my book collection. Dominated with fairy tales both light and dark. Novels that have unusual worlds where magic plays heavy influence, and a handful of other fiction wedged in between.

What might be a surprise is the opinion I have that too much fantasy can be dangerous; at least it was for me. Before I met the wonderful person who I am currently dating, I was a bit of a mess when it came to figuring out people’s feelings. There was a formula in my head, checkmarks that I thought were normal. But nobody could ever meet these expectations, and I wasn’t really able to accept them for who they were and not this imagined ideal. Every time I tried, I lost the romance game of life, and there was no option to replay.

Without going too much further on that, I’m sure that for most people this is a phase they are able to grow out of or grow up from in the natural course of life. Sometimes sooner, and sometimes, like me, much later. I am immensely glad that I finally did, and met a person who was able to get me to look past the fiction, and find a very real, very messy kind of love. Our romance meter has ups and downs, a lot more of the ups these days, and she is pretty good about giving me the feedback when I do something that reverses my progress.

Thank you, Kristine. The best thing you’ve done for me is actually breaking my romantic idealist mentality, and showing me that the real experience is the best experience of all.

These days I am able to read fiction, watch movies or TV, and even play a romance game without the investment that I put into the characters really having that much of an effect on me, other than entertainment. But as far as Love 365 goes, my current investment totals $1. I can quit at any time I want to... Maybe the sooner the better.

And I should first text my girlfriend a good morning before I open the app. Maybe.