February 2006 - Post Selection (2)
ON : The Nature Of Probability pt 4
Date: 238202.04 - Time: 20.50 - Scene: DM Science Department
Lieutenant Pulchek (npc) was beginning to find the whole concept of being dead soon as something way beyond his call of duty, or at least, certainly where his job description was concerned. Therefore, it came as no real surprise that even he had missed the topic of the subject that was put to Percival Bellophoron III by Lt Cmdr Vahl just seconds ago. As far as he could gather, it had something to do with an experiment on Siliconoid technology. Has the galaxy gone completely mad, he silently asked himself feeling totally confused by whatever was going on?
Wait just a minute, he continued to think to himself, didn't I say, and not all that long ago, that we were all in danger of being gobbled up by a monstrous great wormhole? Now they are chatting together like they were holding some damned dinner party. He sighed, turning his eyes toward the ceiling in complete disbelief.
Ever since he had been able to actually meet the scientists from the USS Dark Matter, he had considered it to be a golden opportunity to work close with those from a specialist field they shared in their vocation. But his dream had been sorely dashed, when the more he listened to the words chosen by young Percival, the more he was inclined to imagine that madness was beginning to take a firm hold on his sanity. What exactly was all this my lord and my lady nonsense? Had he Lieutenant(jg) Mark (as sane as anyone around him) Pulchek suddenly stumbled upon some sort of alternate universe, one that everyone was seemingly aware of apart from himself?
He decided to remain quiet, reasoning that if he said nothing, they may just forget that he was here, or perhaps he'd finally wake up and discover that all of this was all just another scary dream. Right now, he certainly hoped so.
Well, no matter what was going on inside his brain, the odd way that Percival addressed those he worked along side, continued. He had had to admit one thing though, just how in the stars Percival managed to get away with calling a Klingon, my lord chief, defied the laws of common sense. He rightly reasoned that if he himself had ever attempted to do such a thing, the Klingon concerned would surely have chopped him up with his bat'leth and fed his remains to the stores of Gagh, just to make sure it stayed fresh a while longer.
Listening to what Percival was saying all the while, didn't prevent his thoughts from slipping out of gear a time or two. With all this talk about Siliconoid technology, it was easy to understand that he would get lost somewhere. Why? Simply because he, Mark Pulchek appeared to be the only one with any concern for what was actually going to happen to them all in something like twenty-four hours time. Perhaps if I... he thought, but then decided he had better not say anything since the Klingon chief of the Dark Matter had a face on him that would likely turn him to stone, if he so much as even tried to interrupt the flow of the conversation among them.
He's rambling again, Mark considered as he listened to the hypnotic tones of Percival Bellophoron the Third. Hey everybody! In case you hadn't all noticed, we're all going to die soon! He shouted out aloud deep inside the thing he called his brain. Honestly, he felt like weeping...
Good grief! There he goes again with his, my lord, my lady. Will I never get out of here? Go on, pinch yourself, see if this is a nightmare, cos' it damned well feels like one. Mark pinched his left arm with his right hand and waited mere seconds to see if it would have any effect. Nope! Absolutely nothing. My goodness, he continued to think, being killed by some great wormhole would be a welcome release after all of this. Were they never going to take my information seriously?
Mark yawned and quickly covered his mouth with his hand in the hope that nobody had noticed. Suddenly, he had the urge to get something to drink, and then just as quickly, changed his mind when he noticed that Cmdr Vahl was looking at him for some reason or other. Well, perhaps later on, he thought.
As time marched onward, he began to think that Percival was one very resilient man. Because, Mark considered carefully, anyone who could go on for what seemed like hours to him, on a single subject, cannot be all that bad. For one moment in the middle of it all, he could have sworn that all of this Siliconoid mumbo-jumbo was clearly beginning to make some sense. He shook his head from side to side, just to make sure that all of this wasn't a part of this dream he thought he was having.
"Upon conclusion of the investigation," Those sounded like words of epic and magical proportions, and they came just in time, because he could have sworn that he was nodding off to sleep. But how was this possible if he was already sleeping? He stretched his legs out under the table, desperately trying not to draw attention to himself. After all, he was a scientist, and as such, all scientific matters should be of interest to him, even at a time like this.
Oh my lord, he thought suddenly, Percival hasn't finished after all? If I ever survive these next few days, he considered, I'm going to thank my lucky stars that I'm not serving with the Dark Matter. Give me the life of a lowly outpost scientist any time. I really think that I need a long holiday!
Mark's train of thought was immediately broken when the dulcet tones of what sounded like surprise coming from the commander, reminded him of where he was. What was that? The Dark Matter, leaving? Oh joy! Mark took a deep breath of recycled air and forced it down into his lungs. Things were looking up after all, he decided. But, as he listened to what was being said, the unfolding words didn't sound as good as Mark had began to assume. No, he'd gotten it all wrong, it wasn't the outpost that was in danger, but the Dark Matter. Hell, why won't that little voice inside my head shut up for a minute or two? I don't mean any harm to the crew, he thought as he lowered his head in shame.
Eh! What! Someone's addressing me? Mark coughed and excused himself for being so inattentive. He tried to reply to Percival's question, but it sounded completely fuddled inside his head. He glanced at everyone around the table as if seeking some kind of assistance, but he was truly alone...
After what seemed like several minutes, it was actually little more than a few seconds, something pinged inside his brain and the answer he was seeking came flooding out, well almost anyhow. He'd began talking, but the more he said, the more he thought that what he was saying sounded like absolute nonsense. Mark asked Percival a question about Elsie, one that he saw as being relevant at this time. However, he never did get a reply. None the less, Mark was suddenly all ears as Percival continued to explain about something quite different, regarding shapeshifters and so forth.
It wasn't long before the credit hit Mark squarely between the eyes, so to speak. If Percival was correct in his assumptions, he, Mark Pulchek, Chief of Science on outpost 316, had had the wool pulled over his eyes.
"Are you telling me," Mark suddenly blurted out, "that some... some kind of shapeshifter has managed to make a fool out of me, perhaps all of us?" Mark asked, his cheeks quickly turning a deep shade of red from the embarrassment he was now feeling.
OFF :
Lieutenant Gol'Khar
CSciO
USS Dark Matter
For and on behalf of :
Lieutenant(jg) Mark Pulchek (npc)
CSciO
Outpost 316
Date: 238202.04 - Time: 20.50 - Scene: DM Science Department
Lieutenant Pulchek (npc) was beginning to find the whole concept of being dead soon as something way beyond his call of duty, or at least, certainly where his job description was concerned. Therefore, it came as no real surprise that even he had missed the topic of the subject that was put to Percival Bellophoron III by Lt Cmdr Vahl just seconds ago. As far as he could gather, it had something to do with an experiment on Siliconoid technology. Has the galaxy gone completely mad, he silently asked himself feeling totally confused by whatever was going on?
Wait just a minute, he continued to think to himself, didn't I say, and not all that long ago, that we were all in danger of being gobbled up by a monstrous great wormhole? Now they are chatting together like they were holding some damned dinner party. He sighed, turning his eyes toward the ceiling in complete disbelief.
Ever since he had been able to actually meet the scientists from the USS Dark Matter, he had considered it to be a golden opportunity to work close with those from a specialist field they shared in their vocation. But his dream had been sorely dashed, when the more he listened to the words chosen by young Percival, the more he was inclined to imagine that madness was beginning to take a firm hold on his sanity. What exactly was all this my lord and my lady nonsense? Had he Lieutenant(jg) Mark (as sane as anyone around him) Pulchek suddenly stumbled upon some sort of alternate universe, one that everyone was seemingly aware of apart from himself?
He decided to remain quiet, reasoning that if he said nothing, they may just forget that he was here, or perhaps he'd finally wake up and discover that all of this was all just another scary dream. Right now, he certainly hoped so.
Well, no matter what was going on inside his brain, the odd way that Percival addressed those he worked along side, continued. He had had to admit one thing though, just how in the stars Percival managed to get away with calling a Klingon, my lord chief, defied the laws of common sense. He rightly reasoned that if he himself had ever attempted to do such a thing, the Klingon concerned would surely have chopped him up with his bat'leth and fed his remains to the stores of Gagh, just to make sure it stayed fresh a while longer.
Listening to what Percival was saying all the while, didn't prevent his thoughts from slipping out of gear a time or two. With all this talk about Siliconoid technology, it was easy to understand that he would get lost somewhere. Why? Simply because he, Mark Pulchek appeared to be the only one with any concern for what was actually going to happen to them all in something like twenty-four hours time. Perhaps if I... he thought, but then decided he had better not say anything since the Klingon chief of the Dark Matter had a face on him that would likely turn him to stone, if he so much as even tried to interrupt the flow of the conversation among them.
He's rambling again, Mark considered as he listened to the hypnotic tones of Percival Bellophoron the Third. Hey everybody! In case you hadn't all noticed, we're all going to die soon! He shouted out aloud deep inside the thing he called his brain. Honestly, he felt like weeping...
Good grief! There he goes again with his, my lord, my lady. Will I never get out of here? Go on, pinch yourself, see if this is a nightmare, cos' it damned well feels like one. Mark pinched his left arm with his right hand and waited mere seconds to see if it would have any effect. Nope! Absolutely nothing. My goodness, he continued to think, being killed by some great wormhole would be a welcome release after all of this. Were they never going to take my information seriously?
Mark yawned and quickly covered his mouth with his hand in the hope that nobody had noticed. Suddenly, he had the urge to get something to drink, and then just as quickly, changed his mind when he noticed that Cmdr Vahl was looking at him for some reason or other. Well, perhaps later on, he thought.
As time marched onward, he began to think that Percival was one very resilient man. Because, Mark considered carefully, anyone who could go on for what seemed like hours to him, on a single subject, cannot be all that bad. For one moment in the middle of it all, he could have sworn that all of this Siliconoid mumbo-jumbo was clearly beginning to make some sense. He shook his head from side to side, just to make sure that all of this wasn't a part of this dream he thought he was having.
"Upon conclusion of the investigation," Those sounded like words of epic and magical proportions, and they came just in time, because he could have sworn that he was nodding off to sleep. But how was this possible if he was already sleeping? He stretched his legs out under the table, desperately trying not to draw attention to himself. After all, he was a scientist, and as such, all scientific matters should be of interest to him, even at a time like this.
Oh my lord, he thought suddenly, Percival hasn't finished after all? If I ever survive these next few days, he considered, I'm going to thank my lucky stars that I'm not serving with the Dark Matter. Give me the life of a lowly outpost scientist any time. I really think that I need a long holiday!
Mark's train of thought was immediately broken when the dulcet tones of what sounded like surprise coming from the commander, reminded him of where he was. What was that? The Dark Matter, leaving? Oh joy! Mark took a deep breath of recycled air and forced it down into his lungs. Things were looking up after all, he decided. But, as he listened to what was being said, the unfolding words didn't sound as good as Mark had began to assume. No, he'd gotten it all wrong, it wasn't the outpost that was in danger, but the Dark Matter. Hell, why won't that little voice inside my head shut up for a minute or two? I don't mean any harm to the crew, he thought as he lowered his head in shame.
Eh! What! Someone's addressing me? Mark coughed and excused himself for being so inattentive. He tried to reply to Percival's question, but it sounded completely fuddled inside his head. He glanced at everyone around the table as if seeking some kind of assistance, but he was truly alone...
After what seemed like several minutes, it was actually little more than a few seconds, something pinged inside his brain and the answer he was seeking came flooding out, well almost anyhow. He'd began talking, but the more he said, the more he thought that what he was saying sounded like absolute nonsense. Mark asked Percival a question about Elsie, one that he saw as being relevant at this time. However, he never did get a reply. None the less, Mark was suddenly all ears as Percival continued to explain about something quite different, regarding shapeshifters and so forth.
It wasn't long before the credit hit Mark squarely between the eyes, so to speak. If Percival was correct in his assumptions, he, Mark Pulchek, Chief of Science on outpost 316, had had the wool pulled over his eyes.
"Are you telling me," Mark suddenly blurted out, "that some... some kind of shapeshifter has managed to make a fool out of me, perhaps all of us?" Mark asked, his cheeks quickly turning a deep shade of red from the embarrassment he was now feeling.
OFF :
Lieutenant Gol'Khar
CSciO
USS Dark Matter
For and on behalf of :
Lieutenant(jg) Mark Pulchek (npc)
CSciO
Outpost 316