Meant to post this testerdya, btu didint. Oh wlel, didnt take me long to dsidetrack.

-- ZAROVE (ZAROFF3@JUNO.COM), January 27, 2005

Answers

Through space, a long ship passed, at warp, with an elegant, elongated arrow head saucer, and swooping Nacelles, the ship was reminiscent of a Sovereign class, but was much smaller, and had more eloquent features and a smaller saucer relative to the ships mass… it was a Southern Cross class vessel, and indeed, the name on top of the Saucer read “ USS SOUTHERN CROSS NX-2109-A”, she was the first ship of her kind…but now, after a little over 15 years, others had joined her as sister ships.

Built as an early forerunner for the Sovereign class, the Southern Cross class had been used as a test-bed both for technology and Hull design innovations. However, it, and its sister-class, the Nash class, had proven effective ship designs of their own, and more where ordered, especially during, and immediately after, the Dominion war.

Within the ship, in a darkened security office, Sat a Humanoid like creature, with the head of a Velociraptor, eloquently poised on a thin neck to an equally thin body, ending in broader hips than usual. His feet ended in the characteristic foot of a raptor, including the Cycle claw, but he was, overall, humanoid… almost like an Egyptian god, a merger of animal and human features. This is what he was reminiscent of, the gods of Egypt. But he was no god…he was a Rapterian, or so the Humans called him in their language, which had become standard in the Federation. His actual race name was Unpronounceable to them anyway, and he didn’t’t mind the use of the Human name so much. In fact, not much got to him. This was not because he was laid back.

He sat there, in the dim light, in the black Uniform the Federation currently wore, the Grey shoulders seeming to stand not far from the shadows themselves, and his Yellow Shirt the only vibrant colour in the whole room.

He liked the Dark, like Most Rapterians, he was capable of seeing in very low light.

He was reviewing files on a computer, sitting and working hard at his job.

Then the door opened, and another Dinosaur-like Creature entered, but different, with a rounder body, and shorter, about three feet in height, maybe a little taller, with an anthropic, but not Humanoid design. She had two arms, two legs, and a head all right, but she was clearly not humanoid, as evidenced by her arching back, and her slumped shoulders, and her overall body shape, which made her seem more like the cartoons Earth use to make with animals than like a Humanoid in the proper since, but she was not a Cartoon in the proper since, but a flesh and blood animal.

Her head bore a Crest that swept back, and her face ended in a beak, and atop it a single Horn grew, she was like a Ceratopsianoid Dinosaur who stood upright.

She had Golden Scales, save for the portion under her chin and down the front of her neck, which seemed to continue below the Blue shirt she wore. Her Green eyes glistened in the small light source that the room had.

As the door opened, the Rapterian’s head swiftly snapped up, with blinding speed, and sharp predatory grandeur, only to reveal his fellow officer standing there, and as the door closed, he returned his gaze to the computer.

“We’re almost to Gidea.” Said the Ceratopsian. as the door slid behind her, leaving her in the dimly lit room.

“ We should arrive in 12 hours.” She continued, the raptor seemed unphased.

“Mind if I sit down, been on my feet all day.” said the Ceratopsian, as she reached out for the shadow clad chair before her… the Rapterian spoke then evenly, smoothly, wit Hough looking up from the monitor “ Not at all.”

She sat down, and continued to try to Illicit conversation from her stoic friend sitting behind the desk.

“Gidea is suppose to be very inviting… “ she spoke in as cheerful a manner as she could muster. “ Nice place to relax.”

The Rapterian spoke then calmly, with all the emotional appeal of a Vulcan. “ It’s a routine check and re-supply mission. We should be done in three day’s.”

The Ceratopsian spoke then, with Glib smugness “ Well I for one intend on seeing what’s down their. It’s a fascinating study in how interplanetary ecology can mere into a synthesis, and it’s said to be very lovely.”

The Rapterian continued to type at his computer while speaking in even, measured tones “ Then it should be a rewarding experience for you. But I won’t have much to do while we are their. “

She allowed herself a half smile, more a smirk really, to cross her beaked face…

“ Well you COULD request a few hours leave time, and enjoy yourself for once.” Said the Ceratopsian.

The Rapterian allowed himself to shoot a faze at his female companion, then returned his gazed to the Monitor.

The Ceratopsian spoke again, changing the subject.“ Ready to make the systems check of the new defence grid?”

“Almost, give me a couple minuets to finish these reports.” The Rapterian said evenly, coolly, as he proceeded to type into the computer.

“ Can we do something about the light level in here?” she asked. The Rapterian glared at her, but again with no hint of emotion said, “It’s my office.”

Signing, the Ceratopsian sat back in her chair “ Fair enough, not like I can’t use the rest for my eyes as well.”

The two had been assigned to check a new security grid that had recently been installed, the system was a new scanner and holding field unit that worked in conjunction with the security monitors; it needed a Security officer as it was a security device, and an engineer or two as it was hardware. The Science officer was to assist the engineer with recalibrations, because she knew a thing or two about this type of system.

After a few minuets of sitting, and with Aborted conversations consisting of the Ceratopsian saying something and the Rapterian dismissing it, the Rapterian stood up, and to the Ceratopsian who had sat quietly for about three minuets, saying nothing and having resigned herself to the boredom of the dark security office, spoke these words “ Allright, that’s taken care of. Now to the new system.” he said. She stood up from her Chair, and said “Finally”. The two of them left the security office and entered the brighter hallway.

The new security grid wasn’t really a new grid, so there was no hurry to fix it. It was a minor upgrade to the old one, and the Engineer and Science officer had already managed most of the work, it was only due final testing, which would take a couple pf hours.

The door swept open, and they’re stood the engineer, with a similar Yellow shirt as worn by the Security officer.

“ Sirano, Casclaw, shall we proceed?” asked the thin, tall Vulcan. Sirano looked up at the Vulcan and his Angular features and said “ Sure. “

The three made ready their tests, and all wore the Pips of a Lieutenant in the fleet, and the new Bar they wore to indicate there level. The fleet had added more ranks since the Talasky conflict.

The Vulcan was a Lieutenant second class, Sirano was likewise, but Casclaw was a Lieutenant fist class, nearly a Lt. Commander.

The three sat about their task. “ We have to finish this by 0500 hours “ said Sirano, continuing on to say “ The Captain wants us to be ready for our next mission, which we should receive instructions for in any time.”

The Rapterian looked at what needed to be done, and at the time. “It’s only 0100 hours 13 minuets. We should be done by 0300 and 30 minuets.” he said again without much affectation of emotion.

The Vulcan officer interjected “ Indeed, if we hurry, we can finish by 0200 and 45 minuets approximately.”

“OK OK “ said Sirano “ I take that to mean we are that good” she said with a half smile allowed across her beak.

They began their work then, tapping the computer relays, and checking the systems, and running simulations and checks…

Soon the mission for the Southern Cross would be issued, and soon they would be needed on other duties, but for now, a small, routine task was to be done, a task Sirano was not too keen on. It was dull to work with Lt. Vipan, but Casclaw was too Cold…

He was even, unemotional, distant… even lacking the Vulcan’s ability to relate and socialise, and preferring to Isolate himself, which in no way was a part of his race, as Rapterians where highly social, Sirano had known many in her 60 + years of life.

Something was wrong with Casclaw, something had happened in his past… to make him so withdrawn… so unwilling to allow himself to feel…

It was a Mystery Sirano wondered about, but for the time being she concentrated on her work…

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Readers,

Unfortunately this forum closed due to maintence problems with the server.

If you are interested in continuing a discussion, you can go to this board:

http://p221.ezboard.com/bthechristianforum

The Christian Forum

This was our back up board, but now we all relocated here.

Hope to see you there!

-- David Ortiz (cyberpunk1986@prodigy.net), July 14, 2005.

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-- ZAROVE (ZAROFF3@JUNO.COM), January 27, 2005.