Episode 2.02: Rivulets of Copper, Eyes Aflame

[Davy, aka GM]

OOC: In the interest of moving forward...

Sorak fills Treyva in on their part of the investigation and T'Kiri adds a brief of Tobin & Cole's conclusions when her call ends. The Vulcans then take their leave of Sanak and return home, while Tobin and Cole return to the ship to compile a report of their interviews and observations.

OOC: We have 3 successes from Cole, and only a Complication from Tobin. So, 3 Successes vs. Difficulty 2. Success, plus 1 Momentum and 1 Complication generated. The complication will be the denial of the warrant, but you can spend 2 Momentum to counter that.

Current
Momentum 5 (1 pending, Cole)
Threat 10

[Renny]

OOC: I think it's worth spending the Momentum on this

[Nolmir]

OOC: Yep, agreed.

[Davy, aka GM]

OOC: Spending 2 Momentum to eliminate Complication, aye.

Tobin & Cole complete their report and forward it to T'Kiri, who submits a request to the warrant-issuing magistrate assigned to the case. The request meets resistance (even the Vulcan surveillance state has its limits), but the investigator is eventually able to convince the magistrate of its merits and obtains permission to access all transporter logs since a week before the beginning of the conference.

The amount of data received is staggering. Some 315 thousand Vulcans transport around the planet each day, leaving them 11 million entries to pore through for what may be fewer than 20 relevant logs.

OOC: How do you folks want to tackle this? Are you relying on Asha's statistical expertise again?

The data is received late in the day, so you can try to power through and work overnight, or let it simmer 'til the morning (unless the Denobulans get on it). Non-Denobulans trying to power through it will have the Exhausted Complication until they get a full 8-hour rest.

Current
Momentum 4
Threat 10

[Renny]

OOC: I think some rest would benefit us, so Cole will recommend tackling the data fresh in the morning.

[Nolmir]

OOC: As much as Tobin might be inclined to try tackling it immediately, he'll take Cole's advice and leave it for the morning.

[Doug Burke]

OOC: While Vulcans can function at full capacity on less rest than most species, this case seems to lack the dire urgency that would indicate a reduced rest period.

[Davy, aka GM]

The transporter log data comes in late in the day, and Tobin and Cole decide they should listen to their bodies and not try to tackle it overnight.

Tobin has dinner with T'Kalla, while Cole has a quiet night aboard the ship. Sorak and T'Kiri retire to their home for the evening.

After Treyva & Asha share dinner in a nice cafe near Ta'Vistar, they return to the ship to begin working on an algorithm to quickly-ish pore through the millions of logs before them. With any luck, the algorithm will be ready to go before the others wake.

OOC: This will be a Reason + Science task vs. Difficulty 2 for Asha, assisted by Treva using the same. Or vice versa (Treyva roll + Asha assist). Asha's Statistics Focus will apply, either way. And Success at Cost will be allowed.

Current
Momentum 4 3 (new scene)
Threat 10

[Patrick Goodman]

As they entered the lab, Treyva turned to Asha and said, "Shall we try to make things easier on the others and winnow down that database a bit?"

Asha Reason + Science (11+4) Task, TN 15, D2; Statistics Focus applies

Rolled 2d20 : 3, 9, total 12

Treyva Reason + Science (10+5) Assist, TN 15

Rolled 1d20 : 14, total 14

[Davy, aka GM]

OOC: I see 3 Successes from Asha and 1 Success from Treyva. 4 Successes vs. Difficulty 2. Success, plus 2 Momentum generated.

Do you wish to spend and/or bank?

Current
Momentum 3 (2 pending, Asha)
Threat 10

Treyva & Asha
Husband and wife work together to determine how to parse the data. While the amount of detail in each log is enormous, Treyva finds useful the precise pairing of the spacetime coordinate notation and the steradian-based Vulcan planetary coordinate system. They're able to develop algorithms to turn date/time range and planetary coordinate grid inputs into useful data. Asha goes further and builds in the ability to process multiple input sets simultaneously, which should speed up the search considerably.

Cole
It feels like he had just barely fallen asleep when Cole's personal communicator wakes him. He fumbles around his nightstand for it, but eventually gets it open. At first, there's no sound on the other line after he wearily answers, save what sounds like a soft gurgling. Then...

"Kh-kh-kho-...h-h-he-...," a feminine, weak, and rasping voice finally speaks; if Cole didn't know any better, the person was trying to talk around liquid in their mouth. The sound of footfalls interrupts the speaker, and the line suddenly goes dead.

OOC: Okay, Renny, what's Cole going to do? It's about 0220 shipboard/Ta'Vistar time. (The ship is in geosynchronous orbit over Sorak's home.)

[Renny]

Cole
It feels like he had just barely fallen asleep when Cole's personal communicator wakes him. He fumbles around his nightstand for it, but eventually gets it open. At first, there's no sound on the other line after he wearily answers, save what sounds like a soft gurgling. Then...

"Kh-kh-kho-...h-h-he-...," a feminine, weak, and rasping voice finally speaks; if Cole didn't know any better, the person was trying to talk around liquid in their mouth. The sound of footfalls interrupts the speaker, and the line suddenly goes dead.

OOC: Okay, Renny, what's Cole going to do? It's about 0220 shipboard/Ta'Vistar time. (The ship is in geosynchronous orbit over Sorak's home.)

Cole snapped awake, long years of training forcing his fatigue down to be confronted later. He sprang from his bunk and slapped the comm panel, "Cole to bridge, priority one. I need an immediate trace on the last transmission to my communicator. Pass the coordinates to transporter room one and have the duty security response team meet me there. I'm on my way. Cole out."

Without waiting for confirmation, Cole dressed rapidly and headed for the transporter room, still pulling his jacket on as he boarded the turbolift.

[Patrick Goodman]

OOC: Not sure what to spend it on right now, so I think just bank it.

[Davy, aka GM]

...He sprang from his bunk and slapped the comm panel, "Cole to bridge, priority one. I need an immediate trace on the last transmission to my communicator. Pass the coordinates to transporter room one and have the duty security response team meet me there. I'm on my way. Cole out."

Lt. j.g. Addaron, manning the conn, acknolwedges the order, and the security chief rushes out of his quarters. As he hits the turbolift, his communicator beeps again.

"Lieutenant, Chief Nnamdi traced the comm signal to the estate of Provincial Commander Spalan," the Tellarite armory officer reports. "The rapid reaction team is en reoute."

The transporter room doors swish open to reveal Lt. Lear and his RRT. He says, "I tried to reach Specialist Banks, but she's not responding."

[Renny]

"Let's get down there, Mr Lear." Cole indicates for Lear and the team to take their places on the platform. He  pauses before joining them to flip his communicator open.
"Cole to bridge. Lieutenant, please inform the Vulcan authorities that we are responding to a possible assault on one of our officers. Have Sickbay stand by. Cole out"
Cole takes his place on the platform, checking the hand phaser handed to him by Lear. He nods to the transporter operator, a hard glint in his eyes.
"Energise!"

[Davy, aka GM]

The bridge acknowledges Cole's instructions as he, Lear, and four other members of the RRT take positions on the transporter pad. Petty Officer Anderson responds positively to his order, and the compartment dissolves in Cole's eyes, replaced moments later by a palatial estate surrounded by ancient fortress walls.

A few moments later, the remaining two members of the landing party appear to Cole's right.

The starlit sky is clear of clouds, bathing the ground in soft light just bright enough to see basic detail. He's heard of the aesthetics of some Vulcan homes, especially those that remained in the same family for generations; the home of his first officer's father is more beautifully appointed than he could have imagined.

Chief Morais already has a tricorder in hand and says, "I have a life form just ahead, not far from Banks' communicator."
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