SIM:Romyana Casparian - Cadet Training - The final exam

Ens. Romyana Casparian - Cadet Training - Final Exam

((Holodeck 32 - Starbase 118))

When Casparian entered the holodeck she was glad to see that she was not the first to arrive, but also that the training officers were not there yet. Now she was sure she was at the right place. The Base was a huge place and she would surely not have been the first Cadet to get lost in the maze of corridors.

She recognised the human Cadet from roll call, and she definitely remembered meeting Mason in the lounge earlier. Then there was another woman she had not met before, clearly an alien race, but Romyana was not exactly sure what. She should have paid more attention in classes about federation history and cultures.

Casparian: Hello, Mason, good to see you made it in time.

Meznik didn’t seem to hear her and was deep in thought, staring out in front of him with his chest puffed out proudly. She could only guess what he was thinking of right now. Never mind, there were other Cadets, a woman she hadn’t met earlier and turned to talk to her instead.

Casparian: Hi, ::she extended her hand in greeting to the unknown alien woman:: my name is Romyana.

The cadets immediately stopped their chatter and instantly came to attention. Ayiana inserted the program into the computer, then nodded to Adea, who began to speak.

Adea: At ease. I’m Lieutenant Commander Genkos Adea, and this is my First Officer, Lieutenant Commander Ayiana Sevo. For the next 7 to 10 days, we will be your guides through the practical phase of your Academy training. You’ve had four years of classroom study, and now it’s time for you to put what you have learned to use.

Genkos picked up a PADD from the table to check the cadet roster.

Adea: I’ll begin by handing out your assignments.

He coughed once to ensure their complete attention before continuing. He began to smirk before pursing his lips in a severe fashion.

Adea: Cadet Eleanor Hampton, ::A human female stepped forward:: You are HCO (Helm/Communications/Operations).

Hampton: Aye sir

Adea: Cadet Mason Meznik, :: A male Kerelian stepped forward:: You have Security.

Meznik: Yes, sir!

Casparian turned her head slightly to see if Mason was happy with his assigned post, he smiled big, so she didn’t need to guess this time. Then Commander Adea called out her name. It startled her a bit, and she snapped her head back to face front.

Adea: Cadet Romyana Casparian, ::A human female stepped forward:: You have Engineering.

Casparian: Yes, sir.

Casparian was comfortable with the engineering post and already felt more at ease knowing that she could fall back on the knowledge from the many engineering classes she took during her Academy years, but she also knew that she should not get too relaxed and had to stay focussed, after all this was the final exam!

Adea: Cadet Dosana Nurav, ::A female Delbian stepped forward:: You have Medical.

Nurav: ::smiles and nods:: Yes, sir.

Adea: This simulation begins with the USS Centris in orbit around a small obscure Class M planet in the Alpha Quadrant, simply called Colony 5263. We received a garbled subspace distress call from the colonists but have limited details about conditions on the surface. As such, I have opted to take the away team down in a runabout, named the Falcon, instead of beaming down. Computer, begin simulation.

As the holodeck disappeared, it was replaced by the interior of the Falcon. On the viewscreen, everyone could clearly see that the Class M planet was now covered in ice. From all the data about the Colony, it should have been lush with vegetation and animal life forms, but nothing was in sight, except a seemingly deserted compound in the distance.

Adea: Cadet Hampton, raise our shields and make a low sweep of the compound. Let’s see if we can determine what has happened.

Hampton: On it.

As Cadet Hampton took the Falcon on a nice steady sweep, Romyana went over the introduction that commander Adea made of the scenario in her head once again. USS Centris, class M planet, garbled distress call, runabout. oO Hmm, ice, would this be a normal seasonal condition of this planet, or not? Interesting. Oo

Adea: Cadet Nurav, are you picking up any signs of life? If so, can you determine the species, or if any of them require medical aid?

Nurav:  ::studies the readings and shakes her head:: Nothing humanoid that I can see. Only native fauna, sir. ::pauses:: I’m going to try some adjustments to the sensor parameters. :: The woman began typing frantically on her console. ::

Adea: Cadet Meznik, find a tricorder and see if you can scan the immediate area for any threats.

With a quick nod, Mason glanced around the interior of the runabout and found a tricorder that was inside a cabinet next to the security station. After he turned both the instrument and the station on, Mason linked them together to get better results.

Meznik: Running a preliminary scan now, sir. Once I get anything remotely sketchy, I’ll be sure to let you know.

Adea: Cadet Casparian, check the outside temperature, and give me your assessment of how it will affect the Falcon should we have to stay on the surface for any length of time. Also scan the compound to see if the environmental controls are working.

Casparian: Aye. ::a quick glance at the environmental control panel:: -18 degrees C. Analysing, stand by.

Adea: Cadet Hampton, are you picking up any other distress calls or communications from the compound?

Hampton: No, sir.

Nurav: Sir, I’m not detecting any lifesigns at all within a two-mile radius of the compound.

Sevo: That’s disturbing. There’s supposed to be a few hundred people down there.

Hampton: They may have all frozen, unfortunately. Whatever happened here...

Casparian felt that Hampton was reaching conclusions too early. Her own engineering training had taught her to first find all the facts, analyse them and then make a conclusion.

Casparian: Hampton, can you playback the distress call? Even though it may be garbled, we could find some clues in it.

The Kerelian Cadet was tapping on a control panel that began to emit a growing noise that resembled static, but to Romyana’s ears it was too regular to be real background static.

Meznik: I don’t know if it’s just me, but there’s something down there. Can I have someone come over and double check to make sure that I’m not crazy and just hearing things, please?

Adea: Nurav, can you verify Meznik’s readings?

Nurav: ::shakes her head:: I’m not certain, sir. I’m not picking up anything unusual.

Sevo: Are you able to scan beneath the surface? Maybe they took shelter in a cave or something?

Hampton: I have a thought...maybe.

Meznik: Good idea, Commander! ::He scanned deeper using the same pattern of noise and received a rather unusual reading:: There’s definitely someone down there that’s not humanoid.

In the meantime Romyana was performing her analysis. She knew the USS Centris was an old decommissioned ship and gathered that the runabout would be of the earlier type, which meant that most of the structure was made of Molybdenum and only parts, such as the emergency hatches, were made of Duranium alloy.

She had quickly pulled up the material specs for both metals and checked the ductile-to-brittle-transition-temperature. For Duranium this was -46 degrees C, so that would be fine, but for Molybdenum would already become twice as brittle at 0 degrees C, and could seriously impact the structural strength of the Runabout. Of course, there were the structural integrity fields that would help the craft sustain the stresses of Warp flight, but they were not meant for use in atmospheric flight manoeuvres, so she decided to advise caution.

Casparian: If we stay longer than 8 hours on the surface, the cold temperature will have an impact. The metal will become more brittle and risk of crack growth increases. Normal flight operations can be sustained but we should avoid any sudden movements and jolts. The compound environmental controls are down, but I cannot tell from here if they were shut down manually or if they were damaged.

After all the cadets chimed in with their reports, Ayiana turned to Genkos.

Sevo: Seems like we can’t do much more from up here. I say we beam down and check it out for ourselves.

Adea: No point in beaming down. We’d have to leave someone in the shuttle. ::he turned to Hampton:: Take us down Cadet, and hope the shields can keep the worst of the cold out.

Sevo: It’s rather chilly down there, so pack warm!

Hampton: :: shivering :: Yeah. Parka time.

Genkos laughed at that - it was nice to keep the humour up, even in such a stressful situation.

Meznik: What are we wearing?

Casparian: The wind speed reads about 33mph. Will we not get frostbite in these conditions?

Eleanor put the runabout on autopilot and opened the gear locker to get the cold weather gear.

Meznik: We should bring protection. Is there a weapons locker anywhere in here?

Adea: Standard EVA suits, they should protect us from the worst of it. Keep your gloves on. ::he pointed at the weapons locker with his cane:: And there, Cadet Meznik.

Romyana still felt confident. In her own opinion the simulation was going well and she was actually excited to get down to the surface and get to the bottom of this puzzle. Up to now the experience was more that of a holo-game than a difficult exam. Thus far, no sweat.

Casparian: Just a second. ::walks back to the engineering section and picks up a fairly large case and pulls the sling sideways over her shoulder:: Tools could be useful ::She winked at Nurav.:: I am ready.

The cadets, himself and Ayiana all donned their EVA suits and waited for the shuttle to reach the surface.

Adea: So, what can we do whilst we wait Cadets?

oO Good point. No use just standing around. We should prepare ourselves for when we get out there, so we can get to work straight away. I would not want to stand around in the cold discussing what to do. Oo

Commander Adea's question triggered the thought and Romyana replied with self assurance.

Casparian: Sir, we can think about who does what when we get out of the shuttle onto the surface.

As soon as she had said that, Romyana already regretted it. It was probably too obvious an answer, this was the final exam after all, so maybe something more creative was expected. But what? There was not a lot of information so far, no clear goal and still the commanders were taking the team to the surface, which was not without risk. Why? Did she miss something? Romyana began to feel her confidence drop. She took a deep breath to steady herself.

Sevo: Thoughts or speculations, anyone?

Hampton: Are there any life signs at all down there? Animals?

Meznik: The only thing I picked up was a non-humanoid lifeform. What other species live in this sector?

Adea: Good question Cadet - any answers?

oO Other animals? Species in this sector? Oh, shunt! I forgot what sector we were supposed to be in. Oo

With a worried and questioning look Romyana glanced at her teammates. She was hoping they would answer the commander, after all, her assignment was engineering, not science.

Sevo: Not much; the planet is in a very remote area of space, and not much was known before a hastily-cobbled colonization effort was put together. The lack of preparedness may have contributed to the current predicament.

Hampton: And a thought. :: pulling on the parka :: How far are we from the nearest ocean?

Meznik: It appears to be going further down under the sheets of ice with incredible speed.

Adea: What does, Meznik, the ocean?

Genkos was confused; they were talking at cross purposes and nobody seemed to be listening to anyone else. He made a mental note to put that on their records.

To her dismay, no answer came. Only some more questions. Romyana tried to keep up and think if she could answer any of them, but she wasn't even sure what they were getting at. Also, nobody had responded to her request to play the distress call, and she had a strong intuition it might contain useful information. She doubted if she should ask again, or if that would be the wrong thing to do.

Romyana hated exams, and this was exactly why. In real life she had no problems making decisions and dealing with the consequences, but in tests, she would always overthink things and wonder what the teachers wanted to hear. She could not afford to fail this test. Her parents would not forgive her. They were both high ranking Starfleet officers and expected her to perform with excellence. Therefore, failure was not an option. She could feel the frustration rising up from her stomach.

Casparian: I will go and listen to the playback of the distress call. ::taking the glove off one hand, accessing the comm panel:: There may be some clue of what happened to the colonists from that.

The distress call was only 25 seconds long and indeed very garbled, but she could make out the panicky screams of the colonists in the background. There was no sound of phaser fire, but the way the caller stopped mid sentence made her suspect her either died or had to run. The last five seconds were silent. Still, there was a strange rumbling sound that seemed to swell and die away, swell and die away again.

Oo Hmm. Maybe not so useful after all. Oo

Sevo: Anything?

Meznik: I’m not entirely sure, but now it seems like there’s a multitude of them. Some kind of underground network, probably?

Adea: Of tunnels? Are there lifesigns, power readings, anything?

Casparian snapped out of her own little investigation and realised that if she was going to pass this test she would have to work together with the team. This was a test they would either all pass, or all fail together.

She turned her focus to her teammates and listened carefully.

Hampton: What kind of tunnels?

Sevo: :: Staring at Meznik. :: Cadet? Answer, please.

Meznik: There’s something strange here. The tricorder just picked up a chronokinetic surge about 20 - 25 kilometers down. It seems that the further underground, the newer everything is? I’m not even sure. Commanders, would you take a look, please?

Genkos limped over to Meznik’s tricorder and peeked over his shoulder. He shot Sevo a look.

Adea: Perhaps you will get your wish, we will get to beam down after all…

While Ayiana and probably everyone else had no issues beaming down, Genkos was another matter. Ayiana was well aware of the cause and reason for his aversion to transporters. A freak accident of one was what caused the man’s leg injury in the first place, so she couldn’t blame him for being apprehensive. But there was no way to take the runabout down into the crust.

Sevo: Sorry… :: She smiled apologetically to Genkos. ::

Casparian: In that case, we will need the transporter beacons. ::opening a compartment, looking inside and closing it again:: Unless, we leave someone in the Runabout to monitor and beam us back. ::opening the adjacent compartment and taking out three beacons::

Casparian handed a beacon to each of the Cadets.

Meznik: ::smiles:: Thank you, Casparian.

Hampton: :: taking the beacon :: I already set the runabout to autopilot…

Adea: Set beam down coordinates to somewhere sensible within that complex. Avoid the chronokinetic burst if you can.

Sevo: Yea, I don’t want to end up in my first host. Purple is not my color.

Casparian: Yes, Sir. ::checking Mason's tricorder:: Setting coordinates now, priming the buffers and ready for transport.

She didn’t even ask Mason if she could look at his tricorder. Mason was momentarily thrown when her hair was in his face for a couple seconds and wanted to shoe it away, but he didn’t want to be rude so he just stopped thinking nothing of it. Most likely because it had a vibrant fragrance and somewhat tickled his nose.

Meznik: ::scrunches his nose:: I’ve got what I need. Tricorder and phasers. Also this suit. I’m going to put my helmet on now rather than later.

Hampton: :: pulling her hood up :: Should still be prepared for cold.

Casparian waited until everyone had stepped onto the transported pads and set the auto timer to 3 seconds, so she had just enough time to get from the control panel to the pad. She was not afraid of transporters, she understood the technology and knew it was quite safe, if used within the specifications of course. She actually liked the slight tingling sensation she'd get during the re-materialisation as the body started to receive its sensory inputs again from its new surroundings.

((Tunnel system 22km below surface, close by Colony 5263))

The tunnel they had beamed into was dark and damp. Before them, they could see the tunnel split into two and there was a hole in the ceiling as well, which was another tunnel that ran more in vertical orientation, but it was much smaller in diameter than the one they were standing in.

Romyana took out her tricorder and started scanning the tunnel's structural integrity and layout. For now it seemed safe enough.

Hampton: Warmer than the surface, I'd warrant.

Meznik: Aye, but it’s sporadic according to these readings.

Genkos raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

Sevo: What are you reading, Cadet?

Nurav: ::nodding:: Dependent on how far down we are among other things. It seems like the deeper we go, the warmer it gets.

Adea: Really? ::he tried to run a hand through his hair, then remembered he was wearing a helmet:: Natural or artificial?

Hampton: I don't think this tunnel is...hrm. Unless it's an artifact of the rapid freeze, I don't think it's natural.

They trudged through the cold and damp air, the cadets’ tricorders the only noise in the tunnel.

Sevo: Anything?

Nurav: The lifesigns were very faint before. They get stronger as we go deeper.

Genkos nodded and gestured for them all to keep walking.

Casparian: Nurav, can you tell if what you are picking up are the colonists?

Meznik: Hey Casp, check this out. Just a few more--

Hampton: Wait...look.

Genkos looked at the cadet closest to him’s tricorder, curious to see what the simulation had thrown up.

Hampton: See?

Meznik: ::nods:: I do. Plus there’s a distinct change in the surroundings. Check out the ceiling, down the walls, and then the floor.

Sevo: Any speculations on what it is?

Adea: And what might have caused it..?

Casparian: Not at the moment, Sirs. ::she turned to Mason:: A chronokinetic burst you said earlier, right Mason? I will recalibrate my tricorder to scan more specifically for chroniton particle density. ::turned back to the commanders:: If one of those bursts happens again, we will have more accurate data about... it.

Hampton, what do you think?

Hampton: I have no idea. But it would be...what the?

Meznik: Did anyone feel that?

Sevo: Tingly.

Nurav: ::frowning:: The readings are all over the place. The tricorder can’t make heads or tails of it.

Casparian: Don't worry Nurav. It is normal for chronitons to disturb readings.

Hampton: Tell me there wasn't another chroniton surge.

Adea: Something tells me there might have been…

He furrowed his brow for the upteenth time; time travel gave him a headache.

Casparian: Affirmative, Sir. And not just one, according to what my tricorder is showing me, there are multiple following each other in close succession.

Meznik: You’re right about that. An amazing amount of temporal fluctuations are occurring all around us. It’s like everywhere I look, it’s another time period.

Sevo: What do you mean?

Adea: ::nodding at Ayiana:: What she said, but louder ::he smiled:: I am CO after all.

Hampton: I really wish I'd been wrong.

Casparian: Indeed. My scans show chroniton particles in different densities everywhere, not just the walls, we could have been affected by the time changes as well.

Meznik: Commanders, there’s something I think you should know. ::points to both with his tricorder:: You have one less pip ::turns to Sevo:: And you have one more pip.

Sevo: Huh. Lookit that, I got promoted!

Adea: ::mock glum:: Whatever I did to deserve demotion, remind me not to do it again.

Hampton looked different too, her hairdo had instantly changed - looked good on her in Romyana’s opinion. It was a sure sign that something was messing with time, which, as every starfleet crewmember knew, could get very dangerous, very fast!

They approached a fork in the pathway, each shooting in a different definition. Genkos looked down both - they looked subtly different, although Meznik confirmed this in his scan.

Meznik: Hmm… That way is appearing older in time and the other looks fairly fresh and up to date. Which path should we take?

Sevo: May have to split up.

Adea: And search for clues? ::pointing his cane at her collar:: You’re the boss now Sevo.

Casparian: Sirs, I urge caution in going forward on any path. With the next surge the timing could change again in any direction. But of course, we do not know when the next surge would be or what triggers it. Having experienced only two surges, there is not enough data to extrapolate any predictable behaviour of these...events.

Hampton: I dunno. We could be in as much danger staying still.

Sevo: Hey, I may look the part, but you’re still the CO here, Genk. It’s your call.

Adea: ::pursing his lips in a smile:: Sure, pass the buck Commander. But any preferences from our cadets?

Nurav: ::grinning, but unamused:: I vote for the least confusing path.

Casparian: ::raises eyebrows:: That would be the one we just came from. ::turns around and sees a dead end:: Oh, I see that ship has sailed. ::keeps staring at the closed tunnel::

Mason had no idea what Casparian was talking about until he turned around. The way they came from was now sealed off. He walked up to the cave wall and then pressed his ear beside it, hoping to get any kind of sounds or wavelength to bounce off of something, but to no avail. So he scanned the wall too.

Meznik: ::sighs:: Yeah, this area is much older. My guess is that it’s gone through a heavy evolution event in just under a second.

Hampton: Great. Whoever built this place liked old computer games or something. Because this really reminds me of an old computer game.

Sevo: :: Nodding. :: Alright, you heard ‘im! Pick a fork!

Adea: ::rolling his eyes:: Not quite what I meant...

Casparian: ::jolts and turns back to face the group:: Huh? Pick one? How?

Meznik: Fork? Does this program have food?

Hampton: I dunno...

Nurav: ::with a head jerk to the left fork:: I’d say that one.

Adea: Justification, Cadet?

Sevo: Responses.

Meznik: ::points with his tricorder to the left:: That way is reading years that haven’t happened yet and ::points to the right:: And that way is the years of yesterday.

Hampton: I don't know if there's a rational way to choose...

Nurav: ::shrugs:: It looks the least confusing.

Adea: You don’t fancy the timey wimey future path?

Nurav: ::grimaces:: I’d rather not, thanks. The future isn’t meant to be known.

Adea: ::nodding grimly:: Fair point, well made.

Sevo: You really want to see me like this in the real world? :: She asked mockingly to Adea, with a slight grin. ::

Hampton: Good point. You know, I didn't sign up for time travel.

Meznik: ::shrugs:: It doesn’t seem all that bad.

Nurav: ::turns to Sevo and Adea:: Your orders, sirs. Whatever you decide, I’ll follow.

Adea: ::clapping his hands together with a soft slap:: Right. Hampton and Casparian, you’re with me - we’re going down the future path ::he pointed to the right fork:: Sevo, you take Meznik and Nurav down memory lane ::he pointed to the left::. You have your orders. Try and stay in communicator contact.

Sevo: No promises I won’t revert to a teenager.

Meznik: Do you think we’ll disappear if it goes too far back when another wave comes?

Hampton: Why do I get to go to the future...aye, sir.

Casparian: Aye, Sir.

As the two groups split down the each fork, Genkos gave a cheery wave to those going the other way, before setting off to see the future.

((Tunnel system 22km below surface, close by Colony 5263; right tunnel))

Adea: Have either of you much experience of time travel? Either in theory or in practice?

Casparian: Sir, if you take into account that we travel through space and frequently pass through the gravity fields of planets and such, then yes, we all do a certain extent of time travel relatively to the point we departed, but... ::she paused and glanced at the officer:: ...but that is probably not what you were asking. ::droops her head::

From the corner of her eye she had seen the officer wave at the others that had split off. He seemed to be in a cheery mood and so as she was talking Romyana had the idea that Adea might have asked the question as somewhat of a joke, but she wasn't sure. Romyana had never been good with jokes. She always messed up telling one and she rarely understood if others were joking, especially irony was difficult to identify. It must be a trait she inherited from her Vulcan grandmother.

Hampton: I know the basic theories. I know it tends to be a bad idea.

Adea: Oh, if you stick in Starfleet long enough, it’s bound to happen sooner or later… Ideas, cadets?

Casparian: I think we should keep trying to find out where the Colonists have gone. Hampton, if you could scan for life signs, then I will keep my tricorder running to collect data on the chroniton activity.

Hampton: :: pulling out her tricorder :: I'll look.

Adea: Good idea cadets; divide and conquer.

Casparian: ::with a fogged up helmet:: How long does the oxygen in these suits last again? I am all fogged up.

She checked the little control screen that was incorporated into the sleeve of the suit. It showed a breathable atmosphere: 5% remaining. But they had not been down here that long to deplete all the air.

If Mason was right and this tunnel did lead them into the future, then the suit was now in a future state as well. Even though Mason had not had not told them how far in the future, it was obvious that at this point represented the amount of hours it took for an EVA suit to run out of air.

Hampton: It should be long enough, unless the timey wimey is affecting it.

Genkos removed his tricorder from his belt, and was about to check the air around them for breathability.

Casparian: In any case, I can't see anything through this fog, so I am taking off my helmet. ::unclips helmet from suit collar::

She could feel the fresh air rush past her neck and across her face. She tried not to take too big a gulp of air, but rather let it equalize. Then she took the helmet off completely. The tunnel was not particularly cold, or warm. There was a slight airflow and a faint smell of... she couldn't quite place it.

Hampton: Is it safe?

Adea: ::exasperated:: And was that sensible?

He couldn’t quite believe the cadet had removed her helmet in the middle of foreign terrain - if the air hadn’t been breathable, they might have had a medical emergency on their hands. Something to add to Casparian’s file, he thought.

Casparian: It is not cold. There is some airflow. ::she sniffed the air:: I think it is safe to go without a helmet.

Hampton: :: tugging off her helmet :: In that case...

It was only now that Elanor had taken off her helmet that Romyana noticed that the woman's hairdo was completely different than when they were up in the Runabout. If she remembered correctly it was a tight bun, but in Romyana's opinion this style highlighted the woman's fair face and grey-blue eyes.

Casparian: ::focussed on typing on tricorder and mumbling:: There must be a way to find out when we are.

Hampton: If we were on the surface, it would be relatively easy. Underground...

Adea: It is more difficult.

Hampton: Wait. This moon has an atmosphere. Which means it has a magnetic field, because you can't have one without the other.

Casparian: Yes, Hampton, great idea!

Adea: ::with the patience of a training officer:: Please, explain your thinking.

Hampton: Which means that we might be able to work out when we are from field fluctuations.

Casparian: I will alter my computations to take this into account.

As a waft of air blew in her face Romyana suddenly realised what the smell was she had trouble identifying earlier. Rotten eggs. Hydrogen sulphide to be more scientific. In science class Romyana had learnt that it is a gas that can cause asphyxia and is highly flammable.

Casparian: Ow, I am beginning to feel faint. ::brings both hands to head:: Maybe taking the helmets off was not such a good idea after all. ::wobbles on her feet:: I smelled it before, but didn't know what it was. It is hydrogen... ::stumbles:: sulphide...

She suddenly dropped to the floor with a dull thud. Genkos rushed to her side, calling to Hampton as he did so.

Adea: Get your helmet back on!

Hampton: :: tugging her helmet back on :: Phewf...

Then a rumbling sound passed through the tunnel and Romyana's tricorder began to beep insistently indicating that another chroniton surge was happening. Genkos completely missed that however, as he was rummaging through his kit for a hypospray of stimulant.

Adea: Why did I have to put the doctor on the other team?

Hampton: Because you thought they'd need it more.

He pressed the hypospray into her neck before forcing her helmet back on.

At first there was a sound like waves lapping on a beach. The throbbing sound was almost deafening. It was the blood rushing through the tiny veins in her ears that Romyana heard as the stimulant that Adea had given her began to take effect and she started to come to. The rushing dissipated and she could now hear herself breathing calmly.

Then she opened her eyes, blinking a few times to try and bring the world back into focus. It was dim, but close-by she could make out the silhouette of a slim young man with dark wavy hair. There was a smile on his face, but the eyes were serious.

Adea: And that, cadets, is why we scan the air before taking our helmets off.

Hampton: Unfortunately, it doesn't give us any more air in our tanks.

Now, Romyana remembered what had happened. The air in her EVA suit had almost depleted, her helmet fogged up and she had taken it off without checking the air quality first. What a rookie mistake! Romyana feared this mistake alone may have already cost her the chance to pass the exam, and the test wasn't over yet!

She noticed her helmet was back on. The Lieutenant Commander must have done that, because her crew mate Hampton was standing a bit further back, with her tricorder at the ready.

Casparian: Thank you, Sir. ::hampered by the awkward EVA suit she rose to her feet, picked up her tricorder and switched off the annoying beeping::

Adea: Consider it a lesson learnt; you won’t do it again, that’s for sure.

Hampton: So...uh...magnetic fields?

Casparian: What about them? Did you find something while I was out cold?

Hampton: Well, I'm getting... :: She abruptly tapped her tricorder hard, but from her face the percussive maintenance did no good. :: ...crap.

Romyana wanted to say something about the misconception of thinking a machine would regain its functionality by just hitting it hard. It would only damage the machine even more and cause it to fail completely. However, her parents always said that if she did not have anything constructive to say she should keep her mouth shut.

Then Romyana noticed the burn marks on Hampton's glove.

Casparian: Look, Hampton. Your glove! It has burn marks all over it. ::she went over to examine more closely:: It looks like your tricorder shorted out. ::checks the readings on her own tricorder:: Yes, as I thought, another chroniton surge happened a minute ago. That must be when it happened and why you did not notice. ::offers Hampton her own Tricorder in exchange:: Here take my device.

Genkos watched as the cadets swapped tricorders, and then a blossom of a question floated into his brain, something he hadn’t considered.

Adea: How far into the future are we?

Hampton: I think we're only a matter of hours in the future, but there's also...look at the magnetic field.

Adea: ::examining the tricorder himself:: Oh my...

Hampton: I think we may know why this planet got snowballed.

Casparian: Really? ::lifting her hand to her forehead but bumping into the helmet instead:: I think I am still too groggy to follow you.

Hampton: A massive fluctuation in the magnetic field, interacting with the field of the planet the moon is orbiting, apparently resulting in a temporary slow down. The thing is, it should have taken a long time for that to happen. I'm worried that the colonists...

Adea: I’m worried for the colonists. Who knows what might have happened if they were exposed to that kind of timey wimey nonsense.

Casparian: Can't we just go back to the point we started? ::she let her arms fall at her side in defeat:: We are taking a lot of risk by staying down here and we are no step closer to finding the Colonists, if there are any left to find... ::she turned to Adea awaiting an order or some kind of direction::

Romyana was hoping the Lieutenant Commander would take control. This is what she expected from the most senior of any away team, but so far he had only been asking questions and observing.

oO Is he really going to just let us stumble around in here until we make a fatal mistake and the program ends? Oo

Hampton: I'm...

She studied Casparian's tricorder, and Genkos raised an eyebrow at her. He waved his hands in a gesture of “please, continue”.

Hampton: There's something that way. I think we should continue.

Casparian: I do not agree. I strongly advise to contact the other team and for all of us to go back to the Runabout.

Genkos folded his arms across his chest, his cane dangling loosely from his limp hand. He looked at them both, his black Betazoid eyes studying them minutely; they were both good cadets, and they were sensible options, but the spark of inquisition plagued him.

From they way Adea looked at her and Hampton just now, Romyana realised that the officer was not just letting them stumble around without guidance, he was closely observing them and considering that this was a holodeck simulation, there would be no risk of real death. At least, Romyana assumed the safety protocols were engaged in this program.

Adea: Cadets, I think we should continue. We’re not under fire, we’re not injured and we’re not finished. Hampton...

This made it clear to Romyana that she had no choice in the matter. She figured that her mistake to take her helmet off earlier already cost her her graduation, and that she had nothing more to lose, so she might just as well relax now and play along.

Casparian: Understood, Sir. ::she said in a humbled voice::

Hampton: Aha.

Adea: What is it, Cadet?

Hampton: There's a heat source down that side tunnel.

Casparian: Really?::she looked over Hamptons shoulder to see the tricorder readings:: Yes, there is.

Hampton: It's the first clue we've found.

Adea: Then lead on - phasers out though, and keep your eyes peeled.

Casparian: Aye, Sir. ::unholsters phaser and checks it is set to stun:: Mind you, Hampton, it could also be multiple readings close together. We should be able to distinguish as we get closer.

Hampton: Of course.

Genkos unholstered his own phaser, setting it to stun. He fell in behind the cadets, letting them lead the way, but still very much in control. He handed Casparian his tricorder.

Adea: Here - see if you can get a reading on the heat signature; cause, shape, all the useful information.

Romyana turned to take Adea's tricorder and started scanning the surroundings straight away. A bit tricky with a phaser in the other hand but she could manage. The two Cadets resumed down the corridor side by side with the officer bringing up the rear.

Casparian: We are getting close now. I read three separate signatures about 6 feet tall. Do you confirm Hampton?

Hampton: Confirmed. I'd hazard a guess that they're humanoid...

Adea: So they could be hostile, or our fellow trainees?

Casparian: Oh wait-- ::points tricorder at Hampton then back to the corridor in front of them:: It was right here around the corner, ::quickly steps around the corner into the empty side corridor:: but now it is gone.

Romyana was certain her tricorder was functioning correctly, because when she pointed it at Hampton she got a normal humanoid heat signature. The heat signatures she had picked up just now were similar. Could it be that they had managed to locate some Colonists? Or other humanoids?

Hampton: Maybe they're not...maybe the time thing is...

Adea: ::finishing her sentence:: Worse than we thought?

Casparian: The readings are intermittent and ::she tilts her head to listen:: Can you hear that too? I hear whispers... ::walks up to wall and gently places her hand against it:: ...coming from behind here.

As she stood with her hand against the wall, she closed her eyes and concentrated on the whispers. She could not make out any words but the voices sounded somewhat familiar.

Hampton: I hear something, but...

Adea: ::closing his eyes and expanding his mind:: I don’t feel anything.

Hampton: One of the few times I've wished to be a Vulcan.

Casparian: The voices sound familiar...

Hampton: I hate to say it, but it could also be the other team.

Adea: It’s a fair assumption.

Casparian: Huh? You think? That would be-- ::looks back, her hand still on the wall::

Hampton: ...I never did like labyrinths

Adea: Me neither ::he tapped his commbadge:: Computer, end programme.

And suddenly, their environment shifted back to the yellow lined and black squared pattern of the holodeck. The rest of the class were also there, having only been separated from each other by about a foot’s worth of holograph.

Romyana’s hand was still up in the air, now right in front of Meznik, almost touching his face.She quickly brought it down and gave the Kerelian Cadet a shy smile.

The Lieutenant Commander smiled at the cadets, and tapped his cane lightly on the ground.

Adea: Congratulations cadets, that concludes our training. I hope this has been a learning experience for you all, and I look forward to observing your careers with interest. Best of luck to you all.

And without much further ado, Genkos spun on his heel and walked swiftly out of the training room.

(END)

simmed by [Romyana Casparian] and the SB118 training staff