ORIGINS: USS Hood June 2010

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ORIGINS: USS Hood Story Posts
Last Updated: 2262.059



Total Posts: 420+





[ORIGINS] USS HOOD: Follow Up

by Andy Catterick

SD: 2261.155

MD: Between missions

Setting: Chief Engineer's Office, USS HOOD


<<From Scott’s post Trouble Behind, Trouble Ahead>>


Gar leaned back in his chair. "Why don't I know who the First Federation is?"

Steele shrugged. "No one seems to; in fact, had the RUTLEDGE not run across one of their marker buoys a few days ago, we might not be going to meet them now."

Merrick glanced at Steele with a raised eyebrow. "Something up?"

Steele nodded. "Seems RUTLEDGE destroyed the marker buoy, and they sent FESARIUS to investigate. A short skirmish ensued, and RUTLEDGE is now being 'held' by the FESARIUS- literally: they've got RUTLEDGE in a tractor beam, and she can't break free with the damage she's sustained. And so Starfleet is sending us."

Gar pursed his lips. "Figures- once again, we're going in to clean up someone else's mess."

"That's why we get paid the big bucks," Steele quipped.

"How long until we arrive?" Merrick asked.

"Two days- if Gar's engines can sustain warp 6," the Captain replied, eying the Andorian engineer out of the corner of his eye.

"I'll get you there- you just worry about getting the RUTLEDGE out of trouble." Gar paused, then added, "I'll get a emergency response team together to help out, assuming you DO manage to secure RUTLEDGE's release."

Merrick sighed, then, afterwards, allowed a thin smile to cross his lips. "Well, I suppose it wouldn't be Starfleet if we had any idea of what we're about to face."

Steele returned the cynical grin. "Truer words were never spoken, Commander."


<<new>>


“Why isn’t the original ship that made the first contact responding?” Merrick asked.

“They’ve moved on to bigger and better things and we are the closest starship to assist.”

“So if they go along with the first ship why jump on Rutledge?” Gar groused. “It doesn’t make sense.”

Jack shrugged. He had asked himself the same questions and didn’t really have any inspiring answers. “The full report is on the computer. Basically there was a lot of brinksmanship, bluffing and some good old fashion threats but in the end it appeared that the First Federation’s idea of first contact is to employ some heavy psychological testing to see who they’re talking to.”

“You’d think with a ship that size they could be a bit more trusting.”

“I don’t know.” Jack replied, “size and power isn’t nearly everything. As Nero found out. I’d like to believe that HOOD is up to the same standard. And lets not jump to any conclusions. According to the logs the eventual first contact had been very promising this current problem might be the fault of the RUTLEGDE. Either way its our job to find out and defuse it.”


NRPG: I’m hoping this mission will be more ‘first’ contact/diplomatic then just charging in with phasers, I do like the testing angle….but I have no master plan so we’ll see how it develops. And we don’t necessarily have to stick to having Balok as the FESARIUS’s captain…or anything that happened in the TOS episode.


Respectfully Submitted,

Andy

CAPT Jack Steele

CO, USS HOOD NCC-1703

STAR FLEET: ORIGINS




[ORIGINS] USS HOOD: Nya, I Was Framed!

by Brian V. Mansur

SD 2261.163

MD 1.020


Scene: Bridge, USS Rutledge

The distorted image of the being known as Arack positively glared at his captives through the viewscreen. "You attacked our warning buoy even though your compatriots assured us that you were nonbeligerants."

"It nearly destroyed my ship," Captain Jamison protested. "We had no choice but to defend ourselves. As I recall from the ENTERPRISE's report, you tried to do the same to them."

"That is not what our logs indicate of this incident," Arack countered. "Before the buoy was destroyed it transmitted a record of your encounter with it. Your Neo Federation vessel charged it, weapons blazing, obliterating it utterly and without cause."

"This is *not* what happened!" the Captain insisted. "We are on a peaceful survery of this sector. Check your logs again. We issued your probe friendship and welcome messages from the moment we encountered it. Then *it* charged us and nearly blew a hole through our hull."

"Enough!" Arack shouted. "Your merciless nature will be dealt with appropriately. One of your sister ships approaches as we speak. The fate of your lives will be determined by their actions. End of Transmission!"


NRPG: Oh you *know* that it will not be that easy.


Respectfully Submitted,

Brian V. Mansur

LCDR Sean Merrick

FO, USS HOOD, NCC-1703

ASR ORIGINS

[ORIGINS] USS HOOD: Take Us In

by Andy Catterick

SD: 2261.164

MD: 2.1000

Scene: Bridge, USS HOOD

“Captain we’re entering the system.”

“Secure from warp and bring us to a full stop.”

“Aye sir.” Their was a brief pause as HOOD shed the warp field and bled off her speed. “Answering all stop.”

USS HOOD hung at the very edge of the system with her bow pointing inward. All sensors were at full as they swept inward looking to find any information that might give them an edge or an answer. Jack rose from his command chair and circled the bridge slowly waiting for the results. The entire bridge crew were intent on their stations as each sought to discover anything that might be a threat to their ship. The only noise was the wurring of Lieutenant Hemux’s scanner. Finally the Denobulan looked up and faced the captain.

“Report.” Steele ordered needlessly more out of a need to do something then on the chance the science officer would have waited to be asked.

Hemux had made a complete scan of the system but could tell from the look on the captain’s face that he wasn’t interested in any of the stellar phenomenon or the dozens of other discoveries that had peaked her scientific curiosity. That would have to wait until the mission was completed she realized with a mental sigh. “I have located USS RUTLEDGE. She is currently in orbit of the third satellite of the fifth planet.”

“Any sign of the FESARIUS or any First Federation marker buoys?”

“None appear to be evident.”

Jack sat back down in his chair.

“Hail the RUTLEDGE.”

After a brief pause Yoshi looked up from his console. “No reply captain.”

“Keep trying.” Jack replied as he turned his attention back to Hemux. “Lieutenant?”

The science officer briefly re-consulted her scanner. “All emissions are within normal parameters. Lifesigns present and match the posted numbers for that class of vessel.”

“Could be comm problems.” Sean said, not really believing it.

“That would be way too easy. And they can see us if we can see them. This long with out voice contact they should be flashing their running lights or using any number of methods to get our attention.”

“So they don’t know we’re here.”

“Or they don’t want to be seen.”

“Or they can’t respond.”

Finally Jack looked back at Sean. “Take us in.”

“Helm all ahead ½ impulse power.” Sean ordered. “Yellow alert.”


Respectfully,

Andy

CAPT Jack Steele

CO, USS HOOD NCC 1703

STARFLEET: ORIGINS

[ORIGINS] USS HOOD: Security Ready

by Andy Catterick

SD: 2261.166

MD: 2.1005


Scene: Security Briefing

Lieutenant Commander Rick Payne looked out across the sea of red shirts in front of him and hoped, as he often did, that all the same faces would be there for the next briefing. He knew odds were often against that desire; security officer aboard a starship was continually listed as one of the most dangerous jobs in the Federation. Which made him even prouder of his team as took in their ‘ready to get the job done’ faces. He still had a lot of work to do to get this department where it needed to be but he was gratified to know he had a lot of talent and heart to work with.

“Ok people here’s the situation. HOOD is currently heading into the system to rendezvous with USS RUTLEDGE. As you’ve seen from earlier briefs, every indication is that RUTLEDGE is operating normally. However they have failed to respond to repeated hails and if they know we are here they’re doing a frakkin good job of ignoring us.” He paused to make sure the ramifications of that news sank in. “Now, if everything goes to plan HOOD will match orbit, someone aboard RUTLEDGE will look out a window and wake up their comm. officer. Crisis averted. If it doesn’t go to plan we will likely get tapped and I want to make sure security is ready. If communications are not immediately established we will likely send over a landing party. Probably the CO or exec, an engineer, the doctor and a heavy security presence. Team one is already the ready team so Mr. Lowl it will be you and your team that will accompany the landing party.” He waited for Lowl to nod his acknowledgement before he continued. “Plan B will mean a large security contingent may be necessary to beam over to secure RUTLEGDE. If this happens Teams 1 through 8 will be tapped and Teams 9 through 12 will be backup. Should this happen I want to make clear to you all that we will be beaming onto a presumed friendly ship and what ever has necessitated our involvement does not mean we go in phasers blazing and dropping anything that moves. Unless its called for. And that will be my call or one of the bridge officers. Phasers will be initially set to stun. We don’t want to be killing any of the good guys. Is that clear.” The sea of red nodded in unison. “Good. Any questions?” There were none. “Very well report to your team leaders for specific assignments.”

NRPG: Not looking to storm RUTELDGE, just some security CD/fluff.  ;-)

Respectfully,
Andy
CAPT Jack Steele
CO, USS HOOD NCC 1703
STARFLEET: ORIGINS

And

LCDR Rick Payne
SEC, USS HOOD NCC 1703
STARFLEET: ORIGINS






[ORIGINS] USS HOOD: Chocolate Temptations - JP

by David Kiel and Brian V. Mansur

SD 2261.167

MD Pre-Mission


<NRPG: Continued from Dave & Brian's "Every Ship Needs a Trill Girl" before the current First Federation Mission>


Scene: Commissary, USS HOOD

Sean watched with quiet delight as Cedria took a long, satisfied draft from her fruit juice through a standard duty federation bendy straw. She noticed his stare and brushed a few wayward strands of shimmering brown hair to the side. He seemed to have forgotten about poor Mister Tamura entirely and was paying closer attention to her drinking habits than was normal for a first officer.

"Gluco Heaven," she gave him a smile and a distracting flutter of her lashes. It had been three lifetimes since she'd had the kind of lashes that worked well for that sort of thing.

Sean grinned, "Girl with a sweet tooth huh? I should introduce you to some chocolates I know from Earth."

Cedria's emerald eyes focused with interest, of all of the Earthlings technological developments chocolate was probably their best one. "Oh? Do tell."

"They come from a little known, lavishly delicious Chocolateria called Stam's. The ones with pistachio filling will melt and flow over your tongue. Absolutely exquisite."

Cedria wrinkled her nose, doubting any chocolate could lift pistachio up to the level of exquisite. "You're a tease, Commander."

Sean guffawed. "You're one to talk, Lieutenant."

"True," she admitted, tapping her bottom lip with a long red nail as she considered her playful behavior. She leaned over her drink as though she'd already forgotten it and beamed, "So when do I get to meet one of these bon bons?"

"Ha! Why do I get the feeling you aren't going to let up short of a diamond necklace?"

Cedria winked, "Well talk about that later, but these chocolates you speak of, where might they be hidden? You do have some aboard with you right?"

Sean shook his head in open amusement at this outrageous young woman. "All right then, Lieutenant. You may try one of the Sacred Candies of Earthly Bliss. But there is a ritual to be observed."

"As long as it doesn't involve weird alien insects," Cedria cautioned hurriedly. "Or venomous rabbits."

Sean put up a reassuring hand. "Fear not. Your sensibilities will always be respected. The ritual is simple. You must answer truthfully any four questions I ask of you. Then you may try one chocolate of your choosing."

"Four questions for one chocolate?" Cedria remarked incredulously, "I am a joined trill with over eighteen lifetimes of wisdom ... well," she reconsidered, "fifteen lifetimes of wisdom and three more that were not so wise. Still, that's a lot of wisdom, more than you mere humans. My price would have to be eight chocolates per answer."

"I could not go more than one chocolate for three answers."

"Five per answer! Otherwise it's robbery and I should report it to the Captain."

"Talk about robbery," Sean replied in mock horror. "I should demand six answers given how hard those divine dainties are to come by."

Cedria leaned back and put a hand on her hip. Brushing her hair back again and pouting ever so slightly she did her best approximation of a stricken and put-upon orphan child. Sean forced himself to look away and said, "Very well. Seeing how you are a lovely woman," he turned back to her, "and have served your Federation well, I suppose an exception can be made. Two questions only then."

Cedria glared incredulously, "And how do I *know* they are really worth two questions apiece? Make it three for each answer and it's a deal."

Sean shook his head and chuckled a little. "I couldn't let the master work of such venerable chocolate artisans go for less than a one to one exchange. It would be an insult to their craftsmanship otherwise."

Cedria leaned back over her drink and pressed her advantage, pursing her lips. "Two for one."

Sean seemed to think it over, then but held firm. "One for one is more than fair. After all, there should be at least a couple left for me."

"Very well." Cedria seemed mollified. She shook his hand with a light, gentle grasp.

"I reserved the port side observation lounge on deck 5," Sean said. "I'll pick my secret stash up from my quarters and meet you there."

"What?" Cedria said with a teasing tilt of her head, "You don't trust me with you in your cabin?"

"Hardly a concern," Sean laughed. "But if I'd asked you to join me there, you'd have just told me to go fetch them for you anyway. Besides which, the lounge has a panoramic viewport. And if we hurry, we'll see the Shinkai nebula as we pass by."

"Why Commander," Cedria said placing a palm below her neckline, "you *do* know something of how to treat a lady."

And in reply, it was Sean's turn to wink.



Scene: Port Lounge, Deck 5, USS HOOD

Sean walked into the port observation deck and immediately caught his breath. There Cedria stood at the window, backlit by the shimmering colors of the nebula. Mezmerized, he watched her flowing hair and skirt ripple seductively in the breeze of the room's fan unit.

As he contemplated her long legs and their curious pattern of leopard spotting, he realized he felt uncertain about moving forward so quickly. Then Sean considered the encouragement he'd received by the alternate Jeri and the knowledge that his own Jeri wouldn't have wanted him to continue the path he'd been walking since Vulcan. But for a moment, he just stood there, taking in Cedria's lovely figure.

Cedria, for her part, was a clever girl despite her solitary nature. She knew exactly what men liked and how to frame it. She had profiled herself along the backdrop of the picturesque nebula, carefully turning the directional duct flaps to take advantage of the ventilation system. For all her teasing, she recognized that the Commander was treating her and this was a fun way to repay the favor. With her arms crossed in front of her, she waited for him to make his move.

Silently, she considered his reflection in the plasteel. He was, tall with short brown hair, just long enough to affect that wavy lilt that made her want to reach out a mess it up with her hand. Tall dark and alien had always been her weakness, she mused; though that had usually been women. Sometimes being a Trill was weird.

Presently, Sean caught Cedria's gaze in the reflective surface of the viewport. Having been sighted, he put on a warm smile, stepped forward, and crossed the distance with his package of chocolates.

"Gorgeous." Cedria said as he strolled up to her side.

"I'll say," Sean agreed, mistaking her to mean the nebula. They had both seen umpteen thousand nebulas in their jobs: treacherous little things that made navigation a tricky hazard each in different ways. Though she had to admit this one was pretty up close and made for quite the romantic backdrop.

"We should make holo of you standing in front of that scenery," he suggested.

Cedria turned to him and smiled coyly. "A holographic pin up calendar this time? Might sell even better."

Sean thought he detected a hint of bitterness. "Are you sure that thing isn't really bothering you?"

Now Cedria's mood definitely changed. "Not at all, no. I don't mind the calendar because that's at least me," she admitted with a sigh. She paused, and for a moment Sean thought that was all she was going to say on the matter.

Then she said, "Alright, what I hate is whole crowds of people staring at me evaluating every little thing so they can find something to denigrate, to make themselves feel better by comparison." She looked back into the star field and huffed in frustration. "I'm the Prime Minister who brought Trill into the Federation. I'm the Prime Minister who got shot. I'm the musician who couldn't control any facet of his life. I'm the champion of two Trion meets." She absently pushed back a strand that had blown across her cheek. "Everyone on Trill knows me and whenever I return home I get stared at until I leave. All of the expectations are hard to take: living up to other people's imaginary constructs of me. A picture in a calendar on the other hand is something I can live up to pretty easily."

Sean stood there silently absorbing what she had told him for a moment. "I can certainly see how it couldn't be easy if folks are unfairly expecting you to be all the things of lives past."

Cedria considered his observation. "Yes," she agreed. Then she laughed, "On the strange side, it's usually all good attention on Trill, and the calendar, well that's not so good attention. Yet, I'm completely okay with the calendar and the attention on Trill makes me want to vanish into the woodwork. Or, you know, go 100 light years across Federation space to get away."

Sean nodded empathetically. "Well, what you do with any picture I take for you is up to you. I won't be sharing it with anyone else. But opportunities to make beautiful memories are rare enough in this life."

Cedria laughed and looked at him, eyes wide and sparkling. "You already took one didn't you?"

"Of course not!" Sean looked genuinely shocked at the suggestion. "That would be completely inappropriate."

Cedria waited expectantly for him to break into a sheepish grin and admit that he'd shot her without her knowing. When he remained steadfast, she exclaimed, "You're serious? You really didn't? Why Commander, that's so unnecessarily sweet of you. Go ahead then," she shook her hair and turned in profile to the Nebula, "there ought to be a picture given it took me an hour to get my hair like this."

"Really?"

"No. Eight minutes tops."

He snapped the holo through his communicator and set it so she could see it as well. "Just let me know and I will delete it ..."

She cut him off. "Stop it, it's great. I'll put it in my next calendar. Now then, it's my turn for one of you. Here face this way." She pulled him in front of the window and stepped back. Lifting her communicator, she fiddled with the visual settings. "Oh, and take off your shirt."

"HA!" He crossed his arms and smirked at her tawdry suggestion, which was exactly the pose she was looking for. SNAP.

Sean rolled his eyes. "Well, at least I know *that* won't appear on any pin ups. So," he said changed subjects, "What do you love about Trill? I've only heard of it."

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, her playful smile returning. "That counts as a question you know."

"Of course," Sean replied with a light chuckle.

"It's green, the air is cool and crisp. There's fog most mornings and the hills take a couple hours to wake after dawn. We followed a similar path to Earth though and almost wiped out our biosphere before we learned our lesson. The difference is that we nearly killed off a sentient lifeform. It was a long road back to green hills and clean air, and I was there for all of it. It's like the little town you grew up in, except that I grew up there nineteen times. Where's my chocholate?"

Suppressing a guffaw, Sean dutifully presented Cedria with a pretty maroon box, stamped with the golden Stam's oak tree logo. He opened the lid and let her see the candies inside.

Cedria was genuinely impressed. "Oh my gosh, they're adorable! That looks like one of those old fashioned windmills. And that heart with the branch on it!" She picked one up gingerly. "I don't want to eat them they are so cute."

Sean swelled with pleasure at her reaction. "I can empathize. But then again, some beautiful things were made to be ravished."

Cedria looked up from her close examination of the chocolate and gave him a playful, measuring look. She seemed about to say something about his choice of words, but then decided against it. Instead she asked, "So, Commander, what is the next question?"

Sean waited a beat, then said, "I want to know about what is important to you. What are your dreams Cedria?"


NRPG: From Brian: Nice to know good quality Dutch chocolates can still be found in the 23rd Century. Makoto Shinkai, btw, is an anime producer who is well known for his breathtakingly romantic space scenery. Thanks so much again to Dave for taking the quality of this post up way beyond what I could have managed on my own. You're a pleasure to collaborate with Dave.

From Dave: This was fun, and boy was it ever a load of tinkering. There's one version where they fight off the Borg, but then we remembered they hadn't been invented yet. So we just had chocolates instead. It fun to be invited to the joint posting(s). :p


Respectfully Submitted Jointly,

David Kiel

LT Cedria Zade

NAV, USS HOOD NCC-1703

ASR ORIGINS


&


Brian V. Mansur

LCDR Sean Merrick

FO, USS HOOD, NCC-1703

ASR ORIGINS


USS HOOD: hide and seek SD2261.175 Scene: USS HOOD: BRIDGE


[ORIGINS] USS HOOD: Hide and Seek

by David Martens

... "What you mean `it's gone'...?"

Arr'Rhiana sighed, feeling the urge to punch Merrick in the face "DON'T... SHOUT..At...ME...!" she barked back. "I already told you a dozen time, the RUTLEDGE is gone, disappeared, vanished, call it as you want."

Merrick rubbed his hand through his hair and looked with bewildered eyes to Hemux "That's impossible, a Federation starship just doesn't disappears."

Hemux tapped some keys on her console and stared through her viewer scanning the area and analysing data. Without lifting her head she repeated her report "As I said: the RUTLEDGE was there, only a few klicks away, perfectly visible, we had her on our scanners, the lifesingns matched with those from the crew; the radiation levels where normal, no signs of an attack or damage. The only thing missing was that she didn't communicated with us. No visual, no audio, nothing."

The Bolian scientist turned back to Merrick "We where bale to lock in for transport, the Captain and the others where beamed on board without problems and exactly at the moment they materialized on the RUTLEDGE it vanished. One moment there, the next nowhere to find. And we have no clue where she is. There is no warp trail or nay other unusual energy signature. We have send in a probe that passed by at the place where the RUTLEDGE should be, so there is no sign of a cloaking field and we detect no radiation or anything else that gives us the indication that there was a space or time distortion."

Hemux blinked her eyes and looked to Merrick "In other words: the RUTLEDGE should be still there, but she isn't and I have no explanation for that, it is totally illogical, but she is gone!"

Merrick nodded and turned to face the huge viewscreen, saying to no one in particular "Suggestions, anyone?"



<<<NRPG>>>


ok, the RUTLEDGE is gone, science has no explanation, what's next?


Respectfully,

David Martens

Lt ARr'Rhiana Hemux

CSciO ,

Sovereignty Fleet

USS HOOD NCC 1703

ASR ORIGINS


[ORIGINS] USS HOOD: Restraint

by Brian V. Mansur

SD 2261.170

MD 2.1030


Scene: Bridge, USS HOOD

Sean Merrick fought the urge to hit Hemux in the face. The RUTLEDGE had just vanished without warning, without trace, taking with it Sean's best friends and his date for Friday night. And all the Denobulan with umpteen doctorates behind her name could say is "I have no explanation for that, it is totally illogical, but she is gone!"

Even as Sean threw up his mental hands and asked for suggestions, he realized that there were still a dozen scans that they could start running.

"Get the main sensor array on where they just were and find me something strange," he ordered. He plopped down in the Captain's chair. "By heaven, we're staying here until we find something to clue us as to where our people went!"


Respectfully Submitted,

Brian V. Mansur

LCDR Sean Merrick

FO, USS HOOD, NCC-1703

ASR ORIGINS

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