011: The Tarsus Institute

[helvorn]

William pointedly ignores the sounds from the cargo bay. He smiles at Walt. "Coffee if you would please Walt." He calls to Roscoe on the link. "What's going on in the cargo bay?"

“Ciencia—both of them—have arrived. They’ve been shot and burned. One is dead and the other is close. We have dozens of injured Imperial Guards and civilians. Maybe five dozen. People are dying.”

He will burst transmit all the other info given out over the link. Assume you’re hearing it all in real time.

William blinked and then setting down his tea rose from his seat. "As you can assume from the noise we've had a bit of an issue Ambassador. Everyone is safe but I would ask you and your escort to remain here for a few minutes to allow us to straighten things out. We have personnel that require urgent medical attention." He made a quick bow and then departed the room quickly. William headed directly to the cargo bay as he reached out psionically for Ciencia.

[terrymixon]

William pointedly ignores the sounds from the cargo bay. He smiles at Walt. "Coffee if you would please Walt." He calls to Roscoe on the link. "What's going on in the cargo bay?"

“Ciencia—both of them—have arrived. They’ve been shot and burned. One is dead and the other is close. We have dozens of injured Imperial Guards and civilians. Maybe five dozen. People are dying.”

He will burst transmit all the other info given out over the link. Assume you’re hearing it all in real time.

William blinked and then setting down his tea rose from his seat. "As you can assume from the noise we've had a bit of an issue Ambassador. Everyone is safe but I would ask you and your escort to remain here for a few minutes to allow us to straighten things out. We have personnel that require urgent medical attention." He made a quick bow and then departed the room quickly. William headed directly to the cargo bay as he reached out psionically for Ciencia.

The actions of Walt have rendered your directives OBE, so they did get shunted out of the ship.

There is no psionic response but you find them both in the medical bay with your mother-in-law. The original Ciencia is on a surgical table and Bianca is extracting the brain implant responsible for backing memories up from her ruined skull.

Your wife is thoroughly dead. Shot dozens of times and then hit with a plasma weapon at close range. Other than her size and some remaining hair, you wouldn’t have been able to tell who she was.

Bianca looked up as you entered. “Her cranial backup implant is damaged, but I should be able to recover the incremental memory backups. This could normally be done remotely but, well, you can see for yourself. I’ll update the pattern and fabricate her a new body once I’m done. Ten minutes or so.”

Your mother-in-law is standing close by, looking utterly stricken. She doesn’t even register your presence, seemingly unable to tear her eyes away from her daughter’s body. She’s been shot and burned, but seems to have been shielded from the worst of whatever happened.

The version of Ciencia that doesn’t look like her is in the autodoc and unconscious. She’s been shot to hell, too. Not nearly as much as her other self, but a lot.

“The emperor is dead,” Teressa said from beside you. She too has been shot but is still upright. “It was Dulinor. She tried to save her father, but it wasn’t possible. Too far away and no clue what was happening before it kicked off. I don’t know how he got troops into the palace, but they gunned everyone in the throne room down. Or they tried to.”

She shook her head. “Her father died before he knew anything was happening. Before anyone could do anything. The Aslan ambassador shielded her when she tried to kill Dulinor with a fusion pistol from her ring. She scorched him good but he got away and his people took the emperor’s body.

“A second team went after her mother. She protected her with her body while the guard reacted. Neither the emperor nor empress had chosen to get backups made, so she did what needed to be done. Fredrick got all the survivors out through the teleportal and dropped an antimatter mine on the other side before he closed it down. They won’t know it existed now and will think the empress dead.”

[Thumper]

He asides to Walt "Ruddy gazebo, mate! If you're gonna turf diplomats of a foreign super power out into the Aki rain to stare at 'em - you do a gazebo don'tcha? 'S 'ow ruddy wars kick off!"

It appears Garvin is going to let the (disguised as Imperials) Zhodani help triage the mass casualty event that is now in our hold (because folk will die if we don't get more medics to the casualties).

(OOC: I'll pause here though so folk can pitch in / tackle him to the ground as a fifth columnist! ).

“Gazebo? Really? Hell, I placed a tent or pavilion on order as we escorted them out here.

About what’s important, I will trust the Ambassador when he gives me a reason to trust. He hasn’t yet. And you’d better be damn sure we have a good reason before we crack the airlock open. They’re bloody Zho, and all better than you at psi disciplines and techniques! Assertions are all he’s given so far. If you agree and his info ain’t worthy, what are you gonna do? His proposed order of operations is all wrong. Just be damn sure his info makes him trustworthy BEFORE he gets back in. There are lots of our secrets in there in the ship and state secrets in people’s minds. And almost certainly is information that could restrict the Imperial sovereigns’ maneuvering room!

[terrymixon]

He asides to Walt "Ruddy gazebo, mate! If you're gonna turf diplomats of a foreign super power out into the Aki rain to stare at 'em - you do a gazebo don'tcha? 'S 'ow ruddy wars kick off!"

It appears Garvin is going to let the (disguised as Imperials) Zhodani help triage the mass casualty event that is now in our hold (because folk will die if we don't get more medics to the casualties).

(OOC: I'll pause here though so folk can pitch in / tackle him to the ground as a fifth columnist! ).

“Gazebo? Really? Hell, I placed a tent or pavilion on order as we escorted them out here.

Having it on order isn’t the same thing as having it. It will be here in an hour.

About what’s important, I will trust the Ambassador when he gives me a reason to trust. He hasn’t yet. And you’d better be damn sure we have a good reason before we crack the airlock open. They’re bloody Zho, and all better than you at psi disciplines and techniques! Assertions are all he’s given so far. If you agree and his info ain’t worthy, what are you gonna do? His proposed order of operations is all wrong. Just be damn sure his info makes him trustworthy BEFORE he gets back in. There are lots of our secrets in there in the ship and state secrets in people’s minds. And almost certainly is information that could restrict the Imperial sovereigns’ maneuvering room!

I’ll do you a solid and assume this is over the link rather than in front of your guests.

[helvorn]

Can I have the courtesy of making a post? Between Easter Sunday and finding out that my daughter is unexpectedly but happily pregnant with our first grandchildren and then being busy all day and into the evening Saturday has left me way far behind. It's not fair to post three pages of intense action so quickly.

[Tiglath]

Can I have the courtesy of making a post? Between Easter Sunday and finding out that my daughter is unexpectedly but happily pregnant with our first grandchildren and then being busy all day and into the evening Saturday has left me way far behind. It's not fair to post three pages of intense action so quickly.

Congrats and best wishes all around!

No sure if it came across well enough but I was sort of marking time with Garvin for William to be front and center for this scene (and to also add a steer on the Zhodani issue).

So, in the happiest of circumstances, the floor's all yours as far as I'm concerned!

[terrymixon]

Can I have the courtesy of making a post? Between Easter Sunday and finding out that my daughter is unexpectedly but happily pregnant with our first grandchildren and then being busy all day and into the evening Saturday has left me way far behind. It's not fair to post three pages of intense action so quickly.

Contrats! That’s wonderful news.

I’m sorry things sped up when you were occupied. I should have slowed them down some. I will let you reset the scene and we will try this again. The game will pause until you do.

[helvorn]

“Ciencia—both of them—have arrived. They’ve been shot and burned. One is dead and the other is close. We have dozens of injured Imperial Guards and civilians. Maybe five dozen. People are dying.”

William blinked and then setting down his tea rose from his seat. "As you can assume from the noise we've had a bit of an issue Ambassador. Everyone is safe but I would ask you and your escort to remain here for a few minutes to allow us to straighten things out. We have personnel that require urgent medical attention." He made a quick bow and then departed the room quickly. William headed directly to the medical bay as he reached out psionically for Ciencia.

The actions of Walt have rendered your directives OBE, so they did get shunted out of the ship.

There is no psionic response but you find them both in the medical bay with your mother-in-law. The original Ciencia is on a surgical table and Bianca is extracting the brain implant responsible for backing memories up from her ruined skull.

Your wife is thoroughly dead. Shot dozens of times and then hit with a plasma weapon at close range. Other than her size and some remaining hair, you wouldn’t have been able to tell who she was.

Bianca looked up as you entered. “Her cranial backup implant is damaged, but I should be able to recover the incremental memory backups. This could normally be done remotely but, well, you can see for yourself. I’ll update the pattern and fabricate her a new body once I’m done. Ten minutes or so.”

Your mother-in-law is standing close by, looking utterly stricken. She doesn’t even register your presence, seemingly unable to tear her eyes away from her daughter’s body. She’s been shot and burned, but seems to have been shielded from the worst of whatever happened.

The version of Ciencia that doesn’t look like her is in the autodoc and unconscious. She’s been shot to hell, too. Not nearly as much as her other self, but a lot.

“The emperor is dead,” Teressa said from beside you. She too has been shot but is still upright. “It was Dulinor. She tried to save her father, but it wasn’t possible. Too far away and no clue what was happening before it kicked off. I don’t know how he got troops into the palace, but they gunned everyone in the throne room down. Or they tried to.”

She shook her head. “Her father died before he knew anything was happening. Before anyone could do anything. The Aslan ambassador shielded her when she tried to kill Dulinor with a fusion pistol from her ring. She scorched him good but he got away and his people took the emperor’s body.

“A second team went after her mother. She protected her with her body while the guard reacted. Neither the emperor nor empress had chosen to get backups made, so she did what needed to be done. Fredrick got all the survivors out through the teleportal and dropped an antimatter mine on the other side before he closed it down. They won’t know it existed now and will think the empress dead.”

William was aghast at the news of assassination and betrayal. His face was stony and his eyes were as cold as glacial ice. The only sign of emotion was a twitching muscle in his jaw. He walked over to the mutilated corpse of his wife that lay on the operating table and touched her hand. All of the while William was listening intently. "Do all that you can to save Ciencia and the babies Bianca. Can you bring back the new Ciencia moderately wounded but looking as though she had been treated with first aid? We need to not tip our hand to the Zhodani too badly. Everything that has been done to deal with the situation has been absolutely correct, politics be dammed." He stepped over to the autodoc in which lay the other, living version of his wife. William placed his hand on the autodoc leaving a smear of blood and char. "Heart of gold and courage of a lioness," he whispered. William moved to Iolanthe and took her hand. "She gave her life for you but she and your grandchildren still live. Be strong for her when she wakes. Ciencia will need you."

Turning back to the others William was granite. "I'm going to bring the Zhodani back inside. I need to deal with the wolf at our doorstep. Roscoe can you have your bots rig simple doors at the forward end of the fore and aft passageways to provide privacy?" For a moment his mask broke before he turned for the door. "Bianca please bring the new Ciencia back pregnant. She deserves that much."

William heads quickly outside having heard some of the dialogue over the link. "Garvin, Walt I'm headed outside to help. Thank you for holding down the fort. We will need every bit of smarts we have between us to keep the scat from hitting the fan even worse than it already has!" When he reached the group William bowed to the ambassador. "I apologize for the inconvenience but in an emergency situation an abundance of caution would dictate temporarily clearing the ship. Please rejoin us aboard. My wife is currently being attended to by out doctor but should be available soon."

[joertexas]

William heads quickly outside having heard some of the dialogue over the link. "Garvin, Walt I'm headed outside to help. Thank you for holding down the fort. We will need every bit of smarts we have between us to keep the scat from hitting the fan even worse than it already has!" When he reached the group William bowed to the ambassador. "I apologize for the inconvenience but in an emergency situation an abundance of caution would dictate temporarily clearing the ship. Please rejoin us aboard. My wife is currently being attended to by out doctor but should be available soon."

Jaelah helps with triage and moving people to where they need to go. She links to Roscoe in an ongoing dialog as she works. "The Empress will need to rally her forces before Dulinor can do it. He's limited to ship's speed communications, while we, and by extension the Empress, are not. Can we use our advantages to beat this bastard to the punch?"

[ateno]

"I'm sure somewhere in the grouping is a .military mind that knows where to go, who can we talk to as a first step to do that?"

Arkar heads ro medical to help out fetching and carrying.

Arkar

[terrymixon]

William was aghast at the news of assassination and betrayal. His face was stony and his eyes were as cold as glacial ice. The only sign of emotion was a twitching muscle in his jaw. He walked over to the mutilated corpse of his wife that lay on the operating table and touched her hand. All of the while William was listening intently. "Do all that you can to save Ciencia and the babies Bianca. Can you bring back the new Ciencia moderately wounded but looking as though she had been treated with first aid? We need to not tip our hand to the Zhodani too badly. Everything that has been done to deal with the situation has been absolutely correct, politics be dammed."

"I have a complete scan of her and the children from only a few days ago," she assured you. "They were never at risk. I cannot bring her back injured, no. I can mimic some of the injuries, but that might not be enough to fool someone who got even a short look at her."

He stepped over to the autodoc in which lay the other, living version of his wife. William placed his hand on the autodoc leaving a smear of blood and char. "Heart of gold and courage of a lioness," he whispered. William moved to Iolanthe and took her hand. "She gave her life for you but she and your grandchildren still live. Be strong for her when she wakes. Ciencia will need you."

She doesn't respond. It's not that she is ignoring you, but she just doesn't seem as if anything else but Ciencia's body is registering with her. Her eyes are severely dilated. William realizes that she is in deep shock and realizes that she is in far more danger that her injuries might have suggested. This state can kill people (one in five people in this state do not survive) and it happens fast.

Your mother-in-law is in immediate and deadly danger, and your associates, though talented, are not medically trained and have missed her condition. Your focus on her allows you to catch her when she abruptly collapses without a sound.

Any actions revolving around her will not detract from your further actions and it will explain the time gap that allowed Walt to relocate the Zhodoni outside the ship.

Turning back to the others William was granite. "I'm going to bring the Zhodani back inside. I need to deal with the wolf at our doorstep. Roscoe can you have your bots rig simple doors at the forward end of the fore and aft passageways to provide privacy?" For a moment his mask broke before he turned for the door. "Bianca please bring the new Ciencia back pregnant. She deserves that much."

"They will be cloth, but yes," Roscoe said. "Anything else will take too long. It will be in place by the time you return."

William heads quickly outside having heard some of the dialogue over the link. "Garvin, Walt I'm headed outside to help. Thank you for holding down the fort. We will need every bit of smarts we have between us to keep the scat from hitting the fan even worse than it already has!" When he reached the group William bowed to the ambassador. "I apologize for the inconvenience but in an emergency situation an abundance of caution would dictate temporarily clearing the ship. Please rejoin us aboard. My wife is currently being attended to by out doctor but should be available soon."

He inclined his head. "I do hope that her injuries are not too severe. Plasma burns are usually fatal, so she is quite lucky to be alive."

The man's even tone doesn't give much away, but his demeanor suggests that he might not fully be embracing what you are saying.

[terrymixon]

William heads quickly outside having heard some of the dialogue over the link. "Garvin, Walt I'm headed outside to help. Thank you for holding down the fort. We will need every bit of smarts we have between us to keep the scat from hitting the fan even worse than it already has!" When he reached the group William bowed to the ambassador. "I apologize for the inconvenience but in an emergency situation an abundance of caution would dictate temporarily clearing the ship. Please rejoin us aboard. My wife is currently being attended to by out doctor but should be available soon."

Jaelah helps with triage and moving people to where they need to go. She links to Roscoe in an ongoing dialog as she works. "The Empress will need to rally her forces before Dulinor can do it. He's limited to ship's speed communications, while we, and by extension the Empress, are not. Can we use our advantages to beat this bastard to the punch?"

"I am afraid the answer is no," was his response. "Fredrick destroyed the teleportal on that end, so we cannot get to Capital any sooner than roughly nine days from now if we depart immediately. I expect the conflict to already be well underway even as we speak. Ships will have left, and military forces will be in motion before we could intervene. It will spread like wildfire and it is too late to put the blaze out before the damage is done.

"Additionally, under Imperial precedent, the Moot will recognize the assassination as a valid claim on the throne. I am sure that not everyone will agree and there will be civil war. With the empress absent for so long, the window is too long. The loyal forces will believe her dead and some will acquiesce to Dulinor's claim. I am unsure she could get a handle on things, even if she were there now. After all, she is now the dowager empress and was never in the line of succession. Only Ciencia is and she is known to be in the Marches. Her appearance would raise a lot of questions that couldn't be answered.

"Sadly, I do not believe the cat can be stuffed back into the bag."

[terrymixon]

"I'm sure somewhere in the grouping is a .military mind that knows where to go, who can we talk to as a first step to do that?"

Arkar heads ro medical to help out fetching and carrying.

Arkar

Your help is desperately needed. There are a lot of badly injured people and far too few hands to help. The ship's drones are pitching in under Roscoe's direction, but it is far from certain that everyone will survive.

[joertexas]

"Sadly, I do not believe the cat can be stuffed back into the bag."

"Dammit," Jaelah sighs mentally while she applies yet another trauma dressing to one of the guards. "This is Ciencia's call, but she will need to rally as many Imperial units as she can here in the Marches, or the Zhodani and Aslan will try to take over when they find out the Imperium is destabilized."

[terrymixon]

"Sadly, I do not believe the cat can be stuffed back into the bag."

"Dammit," Jaelah sighs mentally while she applies yet another trauma dressing to one of the guards. "This is Ciencia's call, but she will need to rally as many Imperial units as she can here in the Marches, or the Zhodani and Aslan will try to take over when they find out the Imperium is destabilized."

"And the Vargr," Metz added. "Can't forget them."

"How can she do that without tipping people off that her father is dead?" Bona asked. "She has a valid warrant, but it is null once word of his death arrives. While the travel time is uncertain, the X-Boat network should have word to Vincennes in roughly ten or eleven months. Corridor will know even sooner. If Dulinor intends to neutralize Ciencia, J4 warships will take over a year to arrive once he has secured the throne."

[joertexas]

"How can she do that without tipping people off that her father is dead?" Bona asked. "She has a valid warrant, but it is null once word of his death arrives. While the travel time is uncertain, the X-Boat network should have word to Vincennes in roughly ten or eleven months. Corridor will know even sooner. If Dulinor intends to neutralize Ciencia, J4 warships will take over a year to arrive once he has secured the throne."

Holding for others to comment. This conversation is going out to everyone.

[terrymixon]

"How can she do that without tipping people off that her father is dead?" Bona asked. "She has a valid warrant, but it is null once word of his death arrives. While the travel time is uncertain, the X-Boat network should have word to Vincennes in roughly ten or eleven months. Corridor will know even sooner. If Dulinor intends to neutralize Ciencia, J4 warships will take over a year to arrive once he has secured the throne."

Holding for others to comment. This conversation is going out to everyone.

Check.

[Thumper]

Walt will nod deferentially to William knowing his concerns, in part, and the situation has been considered and at least some modicum of precaution was taken. He’ll “grin n’ bear it” and trust William’s political judgement. He nods to the Ambassador and motions for them to follow William. He’ll follow up, alert as always. And he’ll ensure the doors to the workshop and med bay are closed to shield those areas from psionic Clairvoyance or Telepathy via the interior structure of the ship.

https://youtu.be/XeO3jMZphhs?feature=shared

On the link:
”Impossible! We should list our assets. What assets have we got?

I can think of several: our mercenary force ready to mobilize, Metz’ hop ships that he might have soon marketed, Metz’ factories, of course…us.

What else do we have to offer Ciencia when she rejoins us? Any other Imperial allies?”

[terrymixon]

Walt will nod deferentially to William knowing his concerns, in part, and the situation has been considered and at least some modicum of precaution was taken. He’ll “grin n’ bear it” and trust William’s political judgement. He nods to the Ambassador and motions for them to follow William. He’ll follow up, alert as always. And he’ll ensure the doors to the workshop and med bay are closed to shield those areas from psionic Clairvoyance or Telepathy via the interior structure of the ship.

The passages back to the cargo bay have been blocked with table cloth, so no direct line of sight is available now. The hatch into the cargo bay near the medbay sounds like it is still open, though.

[Thumper]

Walt will ask ship-Roscoe if he can close the iris-valve to the cargo bay. Open it as needed to allow passage of people unhindered, but please close it when not needed for passage so the ship structure will shield the cargo bay from psionic intrusion.

Without the Zho being able to see down the passage, they may not know when to apply their psi Clairvoyance, and they won’t see people to read/probe their minds.