Near Singularity
NOTE: The content here is heavily edited, since we're in mid-story. SEQUENTIAL ORDER OF EVENTS:
* Indicates GM’s note
[TEASER] Captain’s Log (Matt). The Bretagne is in orbit around planet Cestus III finishing up a relief mission to investigate an outbreak of Tiberium fever.
A fistfight breaks out on the ship between Block and Bianchi. Harper is called * after someone else breaks it up. Hepzibah runs out of the rec center in tears. Someone infers that Harper is a hypocrite.
Communications receives a Priority One distress call. * It’s the USS Artemis. The signal is faint (roll test), * but they say they’re under attack, “zzrrkk. . .we’re losing your signal Bretagne. Repeat, we are being attacked by the USS--[static]-and--m-d-
Bretagne responds to the sector. Sensors * detect debris bouncing off the primary hull, escape pods destroyed by phaser fire, and floating bodies. There are 2 Federation vessels in the distance. The first will be identified as the USS Artemis after a sensor/sys ops check. The second will be identified on the following round.
Space is covered with escape pods and emergency shuttlecraft, all re-directing their course * for Bretagne; all channels jammed with distress calls & casualty reports * (roll to sort out). [jump cuts] At some point, the attacking vessel is positively identified * as. . .the USS Andromeda. [HANDOUT 001] [cue SUSPENSE, THEN OPENING THEME]
[002 TITLE CARD] Helm notes that Andromeda is no longer firing on Artemis * and her shields have suddenly dropped. The ship * has gone adrift. . .as if it were no longer under control. Artemis is badly damaged and has launched her own escape pods.
Just as Bretagne finishes getting all survivors aboard--Artemis explodes. [HANDOUT 003]
The senior officers come aboard and relate the following:
- Commander Greer (injured) states, “Starfleet informed Captain Forster that Andromeda was assigned to supervise the extradition of Dr. Kurzweir for trial on Andoria. But Captain Van Tassel never arrived as scheduled. He never reported in either. So Captain (Robert) Forster was ordered to take his ship and look into it.
- When the Artemis reached the sector where the signal originated, they observed the Andromeda alone, adrift, and launching escape pods. Initial speculation was that this was possibly due to some internal hazard, like a radiation leak.
- Suddenly, the Andromeda itself started firing phasers on their own escape pods! Captain Forster immediately went to red alert and targeted the Andromeda’s engines. A battle erupted.
- Artemis attempted to interpose itself in-between the remaining escape pods and the Andromeda; losing shields and suffering severe damage in the process.
- At the same time, our science officer (Lt. Julie Dreyfus) noted that the all main phaser banks aboard the Andromeda had been set to overload. But our weapons officer managed to cut their power before their weapons systems detonated.
- Artemis attempted to disengage, but power reliability failed on all our re-routed systems. We had to abandon ship.
NEW NPCs
Captain Robert Forster – Former captain of the starship Artemis. Now dead.
Commander Pamela (?) Greer – First officer and commander of the Starship Artemis for several minutes.
Bruce “Butch” Coolidge – Chief of Security for the USS Artemis.
Dr. Joschwitz Kurzweir – He was born human and raised on Earth. He was an award-winning research specialist, and had an equally admirable reputation as a humanitarian, philanthropist, and volunteer, even lending a personal hand to far-off Federation colonies. His last aid-expedition was to the burgeoning Andorian colony of New Aenar.
As far as Starfleet was concerned, all was going reasonably well on the colony, until New Aenar suddenly went quiet for no apparent reason. The USS Andromeda was assigned to reestablish contact. Captain Van Tassel arrived to discover a nightmare - - a series of mass-killings spanning years; culminating in deliberate planetary genocide, and Dr. Kurzweir was at the center of it.
Kurzweir was not only a doctor, but also a research scientist. He was fascinated with transhumanism, specializing in mixing transhumanist ideas with telepresence technologies. Dr. Kurzweir invented a number of telepresence units himself, but felt that his experiments were limited due to his species, as well as his own telepathic potential.
It was at about this time that he attempted to chemically and surgically alter himself to obtain the more esoteric abilities of an Aenar psionicist. Of course, he was not raised with the same mental discipline as Aenar children are, and developed a sort of megalomania.
At first, he was simply kidnapping patients and lying to family members about their condition. But in reality, he had built a hidden underground lab and imprisoned his patients there for years, performing cruel experiments; often without benefit of anesthesia.
When the native inhabitants of New Aenar became suspicious, Kurzweir suddenly left his practice and disappeared. At first, the Andorians believed he had gone off-world. Tapes obtained from law enforcement investigators stated that his facial features had changed, even growing a pair of antennae similar to a native Andorian.
However, the kidnappings continued. Local law enforcement still couldn’t pick up a trail. Then the governor disappeared. The colony was in a state of sheer terror.
Finally, Dr. Kurzweir revealed himself. He had successfully taken over the colony’s atmospheric control network, declaring himself a god and demanding “periodic sacrifices made unto his glory.”
The Aenar resisted. Since they were pacifists and were unable to locate him themselves, they attempted to send a distress call to Starfleet. That was when the entire colony of seven thousand inhabitants were subsequently destroyed, including men, women, and children. Most were asphyxiated to death, while others died in random lightning strikes and sudden changes in air pressurization.
When the USS Andromeda arrived on the scene, Captain Van Tassel caught Kurzweir attempting to escape the sector in The Malbolgia, a heavily modified Andorian cruiser. He was subsequently captured, but not without the loss of an entire boarding party, which included Andromeda’s 1st officer, chief of communications, and science officer.
As a result, the exact details aboard the Malbogia aren’t clear. Dr. Kurzweir was the ship’s only passenger/pilot, and had somehow projected his consciousness into the Andorian ship’s main computer; gaining total control of it (presumably through a telepresence device). He then turned the shipboard systems against Andromeda’s boarding party, killing them all one-by-one.
Acting on a desperate hunch, Captain Van Tassel and his Andorian science officer Cdr. Thelin jury-rigged a psionic field dampener aboard the Andromeda, and managed to beam the doctor’s inert body aboard. The Captain ordered a full phaser barrage on the Andorian ship, forcing Kurzweir back to his body.
Kurzweir himself is convinced that he is the manifestation or “spark” of the technological singularity. He sees himself as the “spiritual seed” that ushers in a new age of self-aware and self-governing superintelligence. He succeeds in this goal by merging with the USS Andromeda.
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According to ship logs, the Andromeda had been specially assigned to supervise the prisoner transfer of a dangerously insane genius named Dr. Joschwitz Kurzweir, “The Kodos of Andoria.” Captain Van Tassel was responsible for Kurzweir’s capture the previous year. Dr. Kurzweir was being extradited from Earth to be tried on Andoria for crimes against sentient species. The horrific story of the crew’s experience is told entirely through crew logs.
HANDOUTS:
ENSIGN RHODES IS REPORTING THAT A FISTFIGHT HAS BROKEN OUT IN THE RECREATION CENTER LOUNGE.
THE BRETAGNE IS RECEIVING A PRIORITY ONE DISTRESS CALL FROM THE USS ARTEMIS. THEIR SIGNAL IS VERY WEAK.
“. . .WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! *STATIC* WE’RE LOSING YOUR SIGNAL BRETAGNE! *ZzRRKK! * REPEAT! WE ARE BEING ATTACKED BY THE U.S.S. *sPZ! *AND*MED*. . .”
SENSORS DETECT FLYING DEBRIS BOUNCING OFF THE PRIMARY HULL. SENSORS ALSO DETECT ESCAPE PODS DESTROYED BY PHASER FIRE. . .AND FLOATING BODIES.
SPACE IS COVERED WITH EMERGENCY ESCAPE PODS, ALL RE-DIRECTING THEIR COURSE FOR BRETAGNE. THERE ARE TWO FEDERATION VESSELS IN THE DISTANCE. ONE APPEARS BADLY DAMAGED.
ALL CHANNELS ARE JAMMED WITH DISTRESS CALLS FROM THE ESCAPE PODS. MANY CASUALTIES ARE REPORTED.
ANDROMEDA IS NO LONGER FIRING ON ARTEMIS. HER SHIELDS HAVE SUDDENLY DROPPED.
ANDROMEDA HAS GONE ADRIFT. . .AS IF IT WERE NO LONGER UNDER CONTROL.
SENSORS SHOW THAT ANDROMEDA’S LIFE SUPPORT IS UNDAMAGED, BUT HAS BEEN DEACTIVATED.
Transcript of crew logs:
Captain’s Log, Stardate: 7926.0
The Andromeda has just returned to Earth, but I have no time to stay. I’m afraid I have been ordered to pick up a most undesirable passenger: Dr. Joschwitz Kurzweir, The Butcher of New Aenar.
Dr. Kurzweir has just finished UFP arraignment on Earth and is being extradited to Andoria to stand trial for his heinous crimes.
But since everybody wants a piece of him (especially those of the Andorian persuasion) this mission must remain classified. We’ve been ordered to take a somewhat circuitous route, and Admiral Komack wants total radio silence.
I was even asked to have Commander Thelin put on executive leave! I flatly refused. I reassured Starfleet that in spite of Thelin’s half-Aenar lineage, he is still my most trusted officer. I insisted that he come along; reassuring my superiors that his duty always comes first.
Besides, I need Thelin to run some tests on the good doctor. Maybe find out what makes him tick. Reference his log entries for more information.
Kurzweir’s Telepresence Device must be submitted as evidence, so I’ve ordered Security Chief Mondello to personally place it in a secure location aboard the ship.
Furthermore, I’ve ordered Chief Mondello to personally supervise the operation. It’s been a busy day. I’m quite late for my nightcap.
That is all.
Security Chief Mondello’s Log, Stardate: 7926.0
We just beamed this scumbag aboard and placed him in a maximum-security section of the ship. Chief Engineer Rutherford installed the football next to the door with an independent battery backup. The evidence is stored in a separate part of the ship. Only me and the Cap’n know where it is.
I’ve doubled up on the guards. We’re not taking any chances with this one.
Mondello out.
First Officer Thelin’s Log, Stardate: 7926.0
Have prepared a portable version of the psychic dampener we developed when we first encountered Dr. Kurzweir. It inhibits all forms of psychic assault or intrusion upon others, and will be near him at all times once he is beamed aboard. Security refers to it as, “the football.” Curious.
My primary orders are to run some scientific tests on Kurzweir. The full extent of his psychic abilities are as yet undetermined, but no one is taking any chances here.
My secondary orders are to prepare Kurzweir for what awaits him on Andoria. The humans call it “reading him his rights,” though as an off-worlder, he doesn’t have any--outside of common UFP jurisdiction.
Andoria Prime insists that the prisoner be delivered alive and healthy to stand trial. I will make certain of this. In spite of our culture and traditions, I must prove that Andorians are capable of a civilized extradition process.
End of report.
Captain’s Log, Stardate: 7927.5
I’m happy to report that everything is progressing nicely and without incident. Communications Officer Hensler complained about how bored she was, so I had her get me some coffee.
That is all.
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First Officer Thelin’s Log, Stardate: 7927.5
The mission is uneventful. Rudimentary tests from outside Kurzweir’s cell were conducted, but remain inconclusive. A routine psychiatric test was performed—also inconclusive.
This man is truly an enigma. He hasn’t spoken a word since coming aboard. He just sits there in his cell staring back at me.
But unlike most of my race, I am not easily provoked.
End of report.
Security Chief Mondello’s Log, Stardate: 7927.5
I’m checking in just as Thelin checks out. He doesn’t say much—just keeps shaking his head. He’s frustrated about something, and I think I know exactly what it is.
Personally, I don’t think the fox should be guarding the henhouse, but that’s just my opinion.
Everything here is SOP and running tight. I got my boys on constant rotation, to keep ‘em fresh and alert.
I really hate this guy. Keeps staring at me. Sometimes he smiles—as if he knows something we don’t. If we were anywhere else, I’d be wiping that smile off his face in nothing flat.
Mondello out.
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Security Chief Mondello’s Log, Stardate: 7928.0
During a routine prisoner check, we found Kurzweir lying on the floor of his cell.
He was totally unresponsive--didn’t look like he was even breathing. I suspect an assault. Medics have been called and Captain Van Tassel has been notified.
Mondello out.
Captain’s Log, Stardate: 7928.0
There has been an incident involving Kurzweir. He was found on the floor of his cell totally unconscious. We’re not even sure he’s alive. He is being taken to sickbay in 4 point restraints.
I’ve ordered a full investigation. Several members of my crew suspect Thelin as the culprit. I completely disagree and don’t support this sort of rush to judgement.
However, I’m confining my First Officer to quarters for the time being. Thelin understands it’s more of a formality on my part.
That is all.
First Officer Thelin’s Log, Stardate: 7928.0
Dr. Kurzweir has been taken to sickbay. It is believed that he is the victim of some sort of assault.
Since I’m the most likely suspect, I have been confined to my quarters.
While I am personally offended by this, I am also confident that the subsequent investigation will rule me out. I have faith in the Captain.
Also, this gives me ample time to do more research on Dr. Kurzweir’s notes that were confiscated from the Malbolgia.
I’m afraid something terrible might happen, but I don’t know what exactly. I have to give the Captain something more than just a hunch.
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Chief Medical Officer’s Log, Dr. Billingsley, Stardate: 7928.0
FOLLOW UP REPORT
Patient’s name: Joschwitz Kurzweir
HISTORY OF PRESENT ILLNESS: The patient is a 45-year-old human male with a history of self-imposed genetic alteration, who presents unconscious and unresponsive via intra-starship EMT.
DIAGNOSTIC DATA: Temperature 50 degrees. Rate of 8 beats per minute. Pupils equal, round, and reactive to light. No Battle’s sign, periorbital ecchymoses, or hemotympanum. No phaser sign or disruptor sign. No other sign of external injury. Glasgow coma scale of 4. Scans show mild brain activity indicative of severe coma or deep hibernation.
LABORATORY DATA: Serial hematocrits 42.4, and 40.4. White blood count 6.3. Ethanol: None. Amylase 66. Urinalysis normal. PT 12.6, PTT 29. Chem-7 panel within normal limits.
ASSESSMENT
1. Possible syncope of unknown origin.
2. Possible coma. Indeterminate.
3. History of genetic alteration.
PLAN
Notify Captain of assessment immediately.
Ordered comprehensive brain scan and reassessment.
Rehydrate and reassess.
Strict orders to nursing staff to avoid sedating the patient. It could aggravate his condition.
Will immediately page Science Officer Thelin for further input following dictation.
Security Chief Mondello’s Log, Stardate: 7928.5
Mister Thelin had the nerve to “advise me” that the football should be taken with Kurzweir to sickbay.
But Thelin’s no longer in charge and I didn’t think it was necessary anyhow. Kurzweir is obviously out cold and sickbay staff will have him on sedatives. The dampener stays put.
Besides, I don’t want Thelin accusing me of breaking it or anything.
Mondello out.
First Officer Thelin’s Log, Stardate: 7928.5
I now have reason to believe Dr. Kurzweir is capable of controlling his autonomic nervous system in a manner similar to Vulcans. But that’s just the beginning. I have a disturbing theory--in regards to his full psychic potential.
I have asked to speak with the Captain about this ASAP. He states he will meet with me soon.
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Captain’s Log, Stardate: 7928.5
Just came back from Thelin’s quarters after speaking with him. He appeared quite nervous.
As he suspected, the compiled and cross-referenced data obtained from Kurzweir’s personal notes, as well as the victim reports from New Aenar, reveal that Kurzweir has indeed developed a profound psychic ability.
We have reason to believe that he is in total control of his inner being; his “life energy.” He is even capable of projecting it outward and into other beings--a form of “possession” if you will. Use of this ability is often fatal to the host victim.
Still no word from sickbay. They won’t answer calls from the intercom. We’re going down there. I’ve decided to “suspend the suspension” of my First Officer. I feel I am going to need him.
That is all.
Chief Medical Officer’s Log, Stardate: 7929
Patient’s name: Dr. Joschwitz Kurzweir
FINAL ASSESSMENT
Head trauma.
Assault.
PLAN
Move patient to Intensive Care.
ADDENDUM
Patient briefly awoke just long enough to identify his attacker as an Andorian. This detail will be included in my full report to the captain. Leaving sickbay to notify security.
NOTE:
