Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Vanessa Slade (CNS) in Main Sim: Genesis Bridge

Posted by Captain Calvin Marius (Captain) in Main Sim: Genesis Bridge

Posted by Gamemaster GM Kate (GMT) in Main Sim: Genesis Bridge
Posted by… suppressed (16) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Everyone from the planet surface suddenly found themselves on the bridge of the Genesis. If that was not shocking enough, the person sitting at the conn was not who Calvin had left in charge. In their place was Lt. Zachary Dean. Dean was sitting in the chair reading a PaDD while everyone on the bridge seemed to have accepted his take over of command without question.

GM Kate

The light of the transporter faded, and the familiar hum of the bridge replaced the world he had just left. Edelu’s boots met the deck with a subtle shift of weight, knees flexing against the residual disorientation.

He took in the space without moving his head—peripheral vision sweeping over the stations, the crew, the conn. It was not the officer he expected there, but the way the rest of the bridge accepted it spoke louder than any explanation could.

The recycled air tasted different here—cooler, steadier—yet beneath it, he caught the faint tang of tension. His hands remained gripping his rifle, posture composed, but his gaze lingered on Dean a fraction too long, committing every detail to memory before he allowed his eyes to move on.

The deck plates vibrated faintly under his feet, a reminder that no matter the strangeness of their arrival, the ship was still in motion. Edelu let his breathing settle into that rhythm, silent and observant, waiting for the next move to reveal itself.

Lt. Cmdr. Edelu, M.D. ○●●
Chief Medical Officer
U.S.S. Genesis

“You!” Thomas exclaimed. “How did you get away from being eaten by the Volians?”

COS

“My rakish good looks,” Dean said standing up now that he saw the gang was all back.

More of a question in Dagen’s mind was how they even beamed up what with the mineral on the planet inhibiting transport at all which was their principle issue through this entire diplomatic fiasco. He moved to the engineering station =^= Thor to transporter room. Did you transport us? If so, how? =^=
- Dagen, CE

Calvin’s patience was at his limit. Seeing Dean relaxing in his seat was about to push him over the edge. “I think you are in my seat Lieutenant.”

“No Sir I did,” he addressed Dagen. “It helped that the Harvest was over and the orbital platforms came on line with all the chaos going on down there now. As to how your transporter chief got a lock I am not sure but I was the one that gave the order. Now before I relinquish command to the XO or the Captain, I would suggest everyone move into his ready room. I have a communique coming through for Starfleet HQ.”

GM Kate

They weren’t online before? Still, Dagen wondered at the means of transport. It would be a huge step forward for transporter tech to have solved the problem with that element. Inwardly he shrugged at the notice about the communique but waited to follow the senior officers in. Glancing at the world below in the viewscreen he shook his head. What a mess of a planet! He glanced at his rather disheveled and dirty dress uniform. What a mess I am! And that coming from an inherent ‘messy’.
Dagen, CE

Edelu did not move when Dean stood. The rifle in his hands remained angled low, fingers resting but not tense on its frame.

His eyes followed the exchange between Dean, McGregor, and Thor with the same steady weight he gave a patient’s vitals—watching, measuring, noting what was said and what was not.

The offer to “move into the ready room” hung in the air, but Edelu’s boots stayed rooted where the transporter had set him down. He was a physician by trade, but Starfleet had drilled the same lesson into him as any other officer: the bridge was not a place to act on assumptions. Orders came from the captain. Or failing that, the first officer.

So he held his place, posture even, presence quiet but unyielding, his silence saying more than interruption ever could: he would not move without instruction.

Lt. Cmdr. Edelu, M.D. ○●●
Chief Medical Officer
U.S.S. Genesis

“Before you relinquish command,” Calvin said in a warning tone. Nothing about this mission had gone as planned and so far every time it went sideways, Dean was there in the background.

Moving into his ready room, Calvin took a seat at the head of the table. “I suggest you begin to explain your part in this mission. You have been showing up like a bad penny for the last twenty four hours.

Calvin Marius

Edelu shifted when the captain moved, falling into step a respectful pace behind. The rifle stayed angled down, his grip loose but steady as he crossed from the bridge into the smaller confines of the ready room.

The change in space was immediate—the hum of the bridge dimmed, replaced by the quieter, more controlled atmosphere of the captain’s domain. He let the door close behind him before moving to the side of the table.

Without a word, he seated himself, posture straight but unassuming, his gaze resting on Dean only briefly before settling forward. He was present, listening, his silence carrying the weight of attention rather than absence.

Lt. Cmdr. Edelu, M.D. ○●●
Chief Medical Officer
U.S.S. Genesis

Dagen could feel the tension and heat increase as the moments passed and was relieved when the Captain and others moved to the ready room. He followed, taking a seat close to the back where he could observe. There were answers forthcoming but what they could be Dagen had no idea. This had moved from an odd diplomatic venture to obtain cloaking technology in some return for Federation membership and and sunk - literally - to an underground tunnel system before their rescue and face off with not just the denizens of the world but the Gorn involved. How did Kirk navigate these kinds of twists?
- Dagen, CE

Magnus stood just behind the Captain, not sitting down. HIs expression was completely blank, things had not gone according to plan. Mentally he was doing the math on the consequences of tossing the man out an airlock, he wasn’t sure if his career could survive yet another court martial but it might be worth it.

XO

Thomas positioned himself nearest to Dean, ready at a moment’s notice to take him down and hope he resisted.

COS

Dean walked in with a well crafted swagger of someone who was not worried about a thing in the world. Taking the seat opposite from Calvin, he looked at everyone in the room before beginning. “This is going to be a very unpopular opinion Sir but Starfleet is not always a turn the other cheek organization. Sometimes it is the sucker punch a guy to get what we need. Need is the key word boys and girls.” Dean spoke with a casualness that usually was reserved for friends or people far higher in rank than his neck was supporting.

“We need those shields. If you haven’t noticed, the Gorn are proving to be a larger threat than most people know. They are vicious, lethal, and have zero compunction in taking living beings as their hosts for their young. We have no real defenses against them and no one knows anything about them. I mean really knows.”

Dean paused before continuing his speech. “Eighteen months ago, I was assigned to the USS Hammer. They were the first ship to begin negotiations with the Beltran monarchy. Unfortunately they were late to the reception and the entire command crew was devoured by the Volians. Starfleet covered up this misstep by saying the ship crashed in that turbulent soup of an atmosphere. The crew bought the story and was promptly sent on a deep space mission. Next came the USS Farmington a year later. Unlike you, their Captain took shelter with King Casper and witnessed the horror through the safety of view screens. The CO had a crisis of conscious and took a tone with Casper. The Admiralty of Starfleet told the CO to close the deal but our temperamental King refused to work with him so enter you and your crew.”

Lt. Dean / GM Kate

“Need can be a subjective term Lieutenant,” Calvin bluntly reminded the man about his junior rank. “Besides last time I checked we were not at war with the Gorn.” Tapping his fingers on the table, Calvin posed a question. “So you have been here since the start of this bloodbath?”

Calvin Marius

“Yes and I tried to warn you,” he glared at Vanessa. “I told you when you arrived at the reception that you were to keep everyone in that palace.” His anger was apparent to everyone in the room. “After everything we went through why can’t you ever do what you are told.”

GM Kate

“Excuse me,” Calvin stated, not immediately sure if this man just attempted to dress him down.

“He is talking about me Sir,” Vanessa clarified. Dean might think he was all that and a bag of chips but Calvin was the Captain. He could crush him into crumbs and toss the bag over his shoulder and into the brig without breaking a sweat.

Vanessa held up a hand. This got awkward fast. Announcing that Dean was once a client of hers at the VA technically would not break confidentiality since she didn’t come out and report to everyone in the room she had treated him for PTSD; however, it was in bad form. Although she had to do something. The way the comment was phrased it sounded like their was a possible far more intimate history between the two. Everyone around the table was exceedingly smart. If someone else came to the conclusion that Dean was at minimum a security officer and most probably an intelligence officer then she did not technically break any code of conduct. “Well first off,” she took a more humorous tone to try and alter the tone of confrontation. “I do not report to you but him,” she pointed to Calvin before hooking a thumb at the XO, “and him.” Pausing she nodded her head then to McGregor, “sometimes him also.” Lifting her hand she kept her palm facing down but over her head. “They are here in the command chain compared to me.” Moving it to the middle of her body she stated, “Then comes Dagen, Edelu, and Mirai, and Michaels mainly because they all out rank me. Something you should think about fixing Sir,” she side glanced Calvin. “Anyway then there is the crew,” she lowered her hand, “the non comms,” she lowered her hand again but this time out of sight, “and then you.” She let her voice stop and hoped that someone noticed she labeled everyone on the crew by department except intelligence officers and blatantly ignored Dean’s rank which as a subtle nod to intelligence officers avoiding rank in missions or taking a different one based on the cover of the assignment.

“Besides he asked you a question. Why are you even talking to me?”

Vanessa Slade

“To which I am still waiting for a reply,” Calvin said.

Calvin Marius

“You are infuriating,” Dean snapped before looking back at Calvin. “Yes and I was there the whole time and luckily your little excursion allowed me to appropriate the shield technology so we don’t need the Beltran’s help anymore.” Yes it might technically be stealing but stealing was such an ugly word. Dean settled back in his seat waiting for the first Genesis officer to start the lecture on ethics and morality.

Lt. Zachary Dean.

Dagen’s head perked up. Sorry, what? He had been taking in the atmosphere of the room and the general disdain that Dean was showing along with the rapid decline of civility when his brain cells clicked. Wait. What? He ‘appropriated’ it? They say, or some say on Terra, that all’s fair in love and war but there didn’t seem to be much of either happening at the moment. Espionage was another thing but that was not their department, but to be a party to aid and abet? He frowned. Dean looked to be awaiting the challenge. Disgusted at being made a pawn he let out a loud breath and turned to the viewscreen rather than at the Lieutenant. If he was a lieutenant and not a ranking intelligence officer who was about to suddenly pull rank and mission.
Dagen, CE