Recap: The Fast Track
The crews of the RRW D'Galan and the USS Sally Ride have encountered a Dyson Ring inhabited by a mysterious metabeing -- a plant-based hive mind the size of a solar system. Powered by the constant sunlight of the ring, the plant intelligence (irreverently dubbed "Carl" by Captain Orenn) seems to combine neurally networked plants, nonsentient animal symbiotes, and the advanced technology of the ring itself. Its mind is powerful enough to create reality-warping effects like those used by the Q Continuum. It is conscious, and telepathic crew members of the exploration team have managed to contact it -- or at least make it aware of their presence. Two-way communication, however, has proven nearly impossible due to the vast difference in Carl's frame of reference.
Several days after making contact with the plant being, it began to use its reality-altering ability to move the starships instantaneously into the orbit of inhabited planets. This effect occurs with almost no warning, either for the crew of the ships or the people they find themselves visiting. The first time this occurred, the exploration group made peaceful contact with a species called the Spallans, who immediately sent an ambassador to immerse himself among the crew. His name is Derren, an attractive blue-skinned individual with a disarming curiosity, a preternatural knack for analyzing unfamiliar cultures, and a tendency to make ominous comments at odd moments in otherwise pleasant conversations.
[attachment=2081]2014-02-09_00003.jpg[/attachment]
As soon as Derren had familiarized himself with the crew, the plant intelligence jumped the D'Galan and the Sally Ride back to its Dyson ring. The Romulans devised an early warning system to warn them of any more reality jumps, while the Starfleet crew tried to figure out why Carl was sending them on these jaunts. They hadn't made much progress when their second jump occurred.
The planet they arrived at this time was a lot less friendly than Spalla. The planet's upper atmosphere was thick with hull-shredding space debris and fortified with a network of mutually hostile war stations. The nearest station immediately attacked the strangers, assuming they were a new secret weapon being deployed by one of the planet's warring factions. The explorers attempted to escape, only to be bounced right back by another reality warp.
Seeing no other choice, they disabled the nearest station and began analyzing the conflict. The planet seems to be controlled by three rival militarized factions: the fundamentalist Legion of the Holy Order; the totalitarian Yelario Empire, and the decadent Kalandra Republic. Each holds central urban districts largely unaffected by the conflict, while war rages all around, turning their border regions into desolate wastelands. Derren theorized that the conflict was being artificially prolonged by a wealthy class in each faction that profited from it.
The bridge crews of the different ships were deadlocked on how best to proceed until a tightbeam signal began broadcasting a rogue message to them from one of the war zones. It seemed to be an attempt by a rebel element to contact the 'alien invaders' for assistance in defusing the conflict. Citing the Prime Directive, Orenn said that there was absolutely no way he would send his crew into such a dangerous area, even to discuss intervention in the planet's internal politics. Kimara, pointing out that her ship wasn't bound by the Prime Directive, resolved to send in an away team to contact the peace movement and hear what they had to say.
Join us every Sunday at 6pm EST to add your character to this ongoing adventure!
