/||\          ----------------------------------------------
      / || \              UCIP Starfleet Command, Eighth Fleet
     /  ||  \                  U.S.S. Coronado, NCC-97901
  .-/   ||   \-.       Fleet Captain Tebrun Lora Kor,  Commanding
  ./    ||    \.     ----------------------------------------------
  .-_-. || .-_-.                  Simulation  Teaser
   -_  \||/  _-.                  -[ SD 240204.29 ]-

 _________________________________________________________________________
/ Simulation Teaser                                                       |
/ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ 

 Grey-Mist-Over-Oceans entered Fleet Captain Rel'ao Narque's Ready
 Room aboard U.S.S. Stirling, unsure as to why it had been called
 there.  It had talked with the Fleet Captain on numerous occasions
 in the commissary in the Reorsan Ministry of Defense, but had not
 until that moment been aboard the Task Group 5.4 flagship.  As a
 matter of fact, Grey-Mist had only been through the transporter
 three times prior to its arrival aboard Stirling, and wasn't looking
 forward to the trip back to the surface.  The braid officer found
 the transporter unsettling at best, disruptive at worst.

 However, one did not postpone or ignore an audience with the
 Commanding Officer of Vice Admiral Aldur's flagship.  Further,
 Grey-Mist had become quite impressed with Narque's intelligence and
 ability to approach problems from many different angles.

 "Come," Narque's voice was audible through the Ready Room door after
 Grey-Mist hand rung the chime.  The braid officer entered quickly,
 and at the Fleet Captain's invitatation, sat down as best it could
 in the chair before Narque's desk.

 "Good evening, Commander," Narque said cheerfully, and slid a PADD
 across his desk to the braid.  "I hope you have had a productive
 day.  I certainly have," the Rigellian officer said with a smile.

 "Thank you, Captain," the braid officer replied, extending a cord
 forward to take the PADD.  "Indeed I have, but I am curious -- why
 did you ask for my presence?"  As Grey-Mist asked, the cord with the
 proffered PADD activated the device and another cord unfolded to
 point its eyes at it and began to read.

 Narque smiled.  "Once upon a time, Commander, I was a hell of a
 scientist.  Specialized in cultures and languages.  You're known to
 be our current foremost expert on the Apori language and I..."  At
 this point, Narque's smile turned gleeful... almost malicious.  "I
 was looking to take the title from you."

 Meanwhile, Grey-Mist's cord reading the PADD had been joined by two
 others as the information on them captured more and more of the
 braid's attention.  "You have discovered another level in the Apori
 language?" Grey-Mist asked, realizing the implications of what it
 was reading.

 Narque nodded, leaning forward.  "I'd like for you to confirm my
 findings, but I've gone over the raw context data on the language
 and I believe the information I've provided will provide a ten-fold
 increase in the accuracy of the universal translation matrix."  The
 Fleet Captain pointed at a particular part of the PADD's display. 
 "In particular, I've spent some time working with the Apori concept
 of the divinity."

 Grey-Mist couldn't nod, but could see the relevant parts of the
 information.  "According to this, the phrase we've been translating
 as 'God' or 'the Divine' actually has three different meanings
 depending on context," it said.  While it spoke, several of its
 cords continued to digest the information in the PADD.  Grey-Mist
 had known that this intimidated some humanoids, but Narque was not
 so easily intimidated.

 Narque nodded.  "Correct.  I've found similar differences in
 translation for virtually every Apori concept.  For 'God', their
 three possible contextual backgrounds translate the concept roughly
 as 'God as a distinct, separate being,' 'God, in his existence
 throughout space,' and 'God, as the culmination of the sleepers.'" 
 Narque leaned back.  "The last is the closest translation for the
 Apori concept the universal translator currently converts into 'the
 One,'" he said.

 "Who are the sleepers?" Grey-Mist-Over-Oceans asked.

 The Fleet Captain shrugged.  "I haven't a clue," he said.  "I've
 only been working on the translation matrix.  To date, we don't have
 an expert on Apori culture or world-view, and I believe the only way
 to understand what they mean by the sleepers is to understand that."
 Narque again smiled.  "But in the meantime, I would like your help
 verifying my work," he said.

 "And providing confirmation for the paper you will no doubt write on
 the subject," the braid said, not without amusement.

 "You learn very fast, Commander," Narque said, again smiling.  "I'll
 let you get to it," he said.  "Thank you for coming up."

 Grey-Mist straightened, taking that as its cue to depart.  Seven
 minutes later, it endured the transporter beam that took the braid
 back to the surface of Reorsa.  It didn't realize it at the time,
 but its transport to the surface represented an important
 milestone... the end of an era, in fact.

\_________________________________________________________________________
\ End Simulation Teaser                                                   |
 ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ

 Crew Roster:
    Commanding Officer:        Capt. Tebrun Lora Kor     (Jester)
    Executive Officer:         Cmdr. William Daren       (Daren)
    Marine Commandant:         Col. Jeremy Ironside      (Fraser)
    Command Liaison:           Cmdr. Savant              (Savant)
    Chief of Operations:       Cmdr. Olme Tlaloco        (rev)
    Chief Tactical Officer:    LCdr. Sieven Drexler      (Brad)
    Assistant Tactical:        Lt. Kyle Marcy            (Marcy)
    Chief Flight Operations:   Lt. JG Ananda Wilk        (Baralu)
    Intelligence Officer:      LCdr. Kariasa Ma'Aru      (Kari)
    Chief Science Officer:     Lt. Kathleen Hammond      (Kath)
    Company Commander:         MCpt. Jacob Prescot       (Shadow-FjP)
    Flight Leader:             MCpt. Craig Serrold       (Aggie)
    Chief Engineer:            Cmdr. Zunite Oswald       (Sonya)
    Assistant Engineer:        LCdr. Jack C. Farley      (CCC)
    Assistant Engineer:        Lt. Aramis Skylooker      (LewisSharp)
    Systems Specialist:        Lt. Caring-Thoughts       (Alffred)
    Chief Medical Officer:     Ens. Jason Vogel          (Thompson)
    Civilian:                  Alados ha-Soron           (McC)

 On Extended Leave of Absense:
    Wing Leader:               2Lt. Andrew Stylus        (JadeFalcon)

 Positions Available:
    None!

------
Jester

Fleet Captain Tebrun Lora Kor
Commodore Selectee
Commanding, U.S.S. Coronado, NCC-97901
http://www.jestertrek.com/coro2400/