April 2005 - Post Selection
ON: Theories
Day 5 - Time : 12.30 - Scene : The Briefing Room
And I want to know the reason why?
"I would suggest that they were in a hurry to leave this city of theirs." Lt Berg (npc), was the first one to volunteer. "Late last night we sent a probe to the surface, one that emulated life-signs. We monitored it constantly, but it triggered no reaction from the planet. I would therefore say that there is no danger at the moment on Paradian IV, but there obviously was when its inhabitants decided to leave."
"Leave for where?" Lars asked. "That's what I would like to know." "You said it yourself yesterday." The ACEO began. "With such high- tech buildings, their space ships are sure to be quite something. So, even if its true that the Bristar system doesn't offer much in term of viable space, I don't see why they didn't made a journey to the outer space, perhaps even another galaxy?"
"Perhaps." Lars said, looking a bit dubious. "But why leave in that manner?"
"This we don't know, Captain." Claryx said. "The only way to get our answers, will be to study this city and its close vicinity, first hand. As Lt Berg pointed out, the whole area seems dormant. Unlike my own thoughts, it is not set to trap onlookers. It's just as it was, ever since the Paradians chose to leave."
"Or were forced to do so." Lars corrected. "We don't know yet that their possible venture into space was something that they happily did."
"Precisely." Berg concurred. "No one would leave such a paradise without good reasons. And what better reason would there be than an imminent danger?"
Claryx glanced at the security officer. It was rare to hear him speak so eagerly. He was doing his job, of course, but there was an added intensity to his words that puzzled her.
"Paradise is an exact description of this world." Gol'Khar said. "Conditions are optimal for life. There are no fault lines in this area, and the city was built far enough from the sea-side to avoid potential flooding. Had Paradian IV been located in a more populated area of space, like the centre of the Alpha Quadrant, for instance, I feel pretty sure that they would have suffered a fair number of invasion attempts. Thankfully, as things are, they were spared."
"They don't look spared now." Miss Craig remarked. "They look non- existent. Perhaps that they fell victim to a virus?"
The large screen, at the back of the briefing room, became alive with the bust of their EMH, Doctor Hereward (npc), as he liked to be called now.
"My team and I have explored every possible avenue, and we couldn't find any sign of lethal viruses or phages. It would be dangerous however to surmise that Paradian IV is devoid of such risks. It is graced with an abundant flora and fauna and some of these life-forms are bound to be poisonous or adverse in some way. If we send away teams onto the surface, they will have to be cautious."
Lars nodded and turned to Claryx. "Have you now been able to define how long this city has been in that state, with rampant vegetation everywhere?"
"My first estimation is that these buildings have been abandoned close to a century ago, Sir. So, basically, to understand the reason of their departure, we have to look into the past of this planet. A geological study will probably help us to explain a part of Paradian IV's mystery."
"Such a team will be sent." Lars agreed. "Now, in light of what we have discovered, I would like to hear the theory that each of you have. Miss Craig, you haven't spoken much, would you do us the honour?"
Besides Claryx and Lars, only one person looked at June : Berg. Here too Claryx could sense his eagerness for action and she finally understood why. He wanted to impress Miss Craig.
"With the elements we have so far, I'd say that the Paradian were forced to move away." June began. "Of course, at the moment we have no idea how these people look like or even if they think like the species we are already familiar with. But these Paradians were brilliant enough to choose the perfect place for their city. It offered them shelter and comfort, just what any humanoid would strive for. In that respect they aren't that different from us all. So only extreme circumstances would have pushed them away. A meteorite fall, perhaps? With prediction that it would destroy their planet?" She paused. "Whatever the cause, it was terribly sudden, and they never returned."
The ACEO and EMH both opted for a theory according to which the Paradians had been victims of their own technology. If these people used some form of data base to store their knowledge, then the Dark Matter should be able to access it, and discover what had gone wrong for this civilization.
Berg, in his new found verve, agreed with June and expanded on the fact that the Paradian's exodus probably happened in a panic, hence the reason why they left everything as it was. They didn't have time to nit-pick, turn the power off or take much of their belongings with them. It appears to have happened in a rush.
"These people must have been extremely orderly." Gol'Khar pointed out. "I cannot imagine any panic-stricken humanoid fleeing in a rush, without breaking objects behind them."
"All I am trying to say." Berg continued, sounding a bit miffed by Gol'Khar's intervention. "Is that these people weren't in their normal state when they left. They could have been distressed, forgetful..."
Gol'Khar went on to say that he felt there was still too much darkness in this mystery, at least for him to form a valuable opinion on the events that had taken place in this city. Claryx agreed with him and pointed out that their only certitude at the moment was the fact that the Paradians had left in a hurry. Why, was still an unknown factor.
"At least we have progressed a bit." Lars concluded now that everyone had voiced their opinion. "It is obvious that we have reached our limits here, so our next step will be to form several away teams to explore this city. I would add however, that you have all ignored what, in my eyes, is an important possibility : the one where another space faring civilization would have interacted with the Paradians. I don't mean in the form of war, since we can't apparently find any sign of violence on this planet. But they could have pushed the Paradians to react in the way you have described. Although to what end, is another unknown factor."
Everyone fell silent for a moment, reflecting on what their Captain had just said, then Lt Berg reaffirmed his opinion, followed by their EMH. Claryx repressed a sigh. If their CO didn't put an end to this meeting now, they were likely to spend the rest of the day debating on foggy theories locked into this room...
OFF :
Lieutenant Commander Claryx Vahl
XO
USS Dark Matter
Day 5 - Time : 12.30 - Scene : The Briefing Room
And I want to know the reason why?
"I would suggest that they were in a hurry to leave this city of theirs." Lt Berg (npc), was the first one to volunteer. "Late last night we sent a probe to the surface, one that emulated life-signs. We monitored it constantly, but it triggered no reaction from the planet. I would therefore say that there is no danger at the moment on Paradian IV, but there obviously was when its inhabitants decided to leave."
"Leave for where?" Lars asked. "That's what I would like to know." "You said it yourself yesterday." The ACEO began. "With such high- tech buildings, their space ships are sure to be quite something. So, even if its true that the Bristar system doesn't offer much in term of viable space, I don't see why they didn't made a journey to the outer space, perhaps even another galaxy?"
"Perhaps." Lars said, looking a bit dubious. "But why leave in that manner?"
"This we don't know, Captain." Claryx said. "The only way to get our answers, will be to study this city and its close vicinity, first hand. As Lt Berg pointed out, the whole area seems dormant. Unlike my own thoughts, it is not set to trap onlookers. It's just as it was, ever since the Paradians chose to leave."
"Or were forced to do so." Lars corrected. "We don't know yet that their possible venture into space was something that they happily did."
"Precisely." Berg concurred. "No one would leave such a paradise without good reasons. And what better reason would there be than an imminent danger?"
Claryx glanced at the security officer. It was rare to hear him speak so eagerly. He was doing his job, of course, but there was an added intensity to his words that puzzled her.
"Paradise is an exact description of this world." Gol'Khar said. "Conditions are optimal for life. There are no fault lines in this area, and the city was built far enough from the sea-side to avoid potential flooding. Had Paradian IV been located in a more populated area of space, like the centre of the Alpha Quadrant, for instance, I feel pretty sure that they would have suffered a fair number of invasion attempts. Thankfully, as things are, they were spared."
"They don't look spared now." Miss Craig remarked. "They look non- existent. Perhaps that they fell victim to a virus?"
The large screen, at the back of the briefing room, became alive with the bust of their EMH, Doctor Hereward (npc), as he liked to be called now.
"My team and I have explored every possible avenue, and we couldn't find any sign of lethal viruses or phages. It would be dangerous however to surmise that Paradian IV is devoid of such risks. It is graced with an abundant flora and fauna and some of these life-forms are bound to be poisonous or adverse in some way. If we send away teams onto the surface, they will have to be cautious."
Lars nodded and turned to Claryx. "Have you now been able to define how long this city has been in that state, with rampant vegetation everywhere?"
"My first estimation is that these buildings have been abandoned close to a century ago, Sir. So, basically, to understand the reason of their departure, we have to look into the past of this planet. A geological study will probably help us to explain a part of Paradian IV's mystery."
"Such a team will be sent." Lars agreed. "Now, in light of what we have discovered, I would like to hear the theory that each of you have. Miss Craig, you haven't spoken much, would you do us the honour?"
Besides Claryx and Lars, only one person looked at June : Berg. Here too Claryx could sense his eagerness for action and she finally understood why. He wanted to impress Miss Craig.
"With the elements we have so far, I'd say that the Paradian were forced to move away." June began. "Of course, at the moment we have no idea how these people look like or even if they think like the species we are already familiar with. But these Paradians were brilliant enough to choose the perfect place for their city. It offered them shelter and comfort, just what any humanoid would strive for. In that respect they aren't that different from us all. So only extreme circumstances would have pushed them away. A meteorite fall, perhaps? With prediction that it would destroy their planet?" She paused. "Whatever the cause, it was terribly sudden, and they never returned."
The ACEO and EMH both opted for a theory according to which the Paradians had been victims of their own technology. If these people used some form of data base to store their knowledge, then the Dark Matter should be able to access it, and discover what had gone wrong for this civilization.
Berg, in his new found verve, agreed with June and expanded on the fact that the Paradian's exodus probably happened in a panic, hence the reason why they left everything as it was. They didn't have time to nit-pick, turn the power off or take much of their belongings with them. It appears to have happened in a rush.
"These people must have been extremely orderly." Gol'Khar pointed out. "I cannot imagine any panic-stricken humanoid fleeing in a rush, without breaking objects behind them."
"All I am trying to say." Berg continued, sounding a bit miffed by Gol'Khar's intervention. "Is that these people weren't in their normal state when they left. They could have been distressed, forgetful..."
Gol'Khar went on to say that he felt there was still too much darkness in this mystery, at least for him to form a valuable opinion on the events that had taken place in this city. Claryx agreed with him and pointed out that their only certitude at the moment was the fact that the Paradians had left in a hurry. Why, was still an unknown factor.
"At least we have progressed a bit." Lars concluded now that everyone had voiced their opinion. "It is obvious that we have reached our limits here, so our next step will be to form several away teams to explore this city. I would add however, that you have all ignored what, in my eyes, is an important possibility : the one where another space faring civilization would have interacted with the Paradians. I don't mean in the form of war, since we can't apparently find any sign of violence on this planet. But they could have pushed the Paradians to react in the way you have described. Although to what end, is another unknown factor."
Everyone fell silent for a moment, reflecting on what their Captain had just said, then Lt Berg reaffirmed his opinion, followed by their EMH. Claryx repressed a sigh. If their CO didn't put an end to this meeting now, they were likely to spend the rest of the day debating on foggy theories locked into this room...
OFF :
Lieutenant Commander Claryx Vahl
XO
USS Dark Matter