~\\_               
          \\\\_             
          `\\\\\            -----------------------------------------
           |\\\\\           Starfleet Command, Eighth Fleet (OOC)    
            \\\\\|__.-~~\   
         _--~         ~~/   Defenders Task Group 85.3, "Whitestone"  
       /~         _-~~~'    Embarked on U.S.S. Coronado, NCC-97901   
      ('-//////-//          Rear Admiral Tebrun Lora Kor, Commanding 
       ////// }}-)          -----------------------------------------
     /////~                 Simulation Report                        
  _///~                     Stardate 240210.21                       
 `                          
 _______________________________________________________________________ 
/ Simulation Teaser                                                     |
/ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ 

 =/.= The Spindle =/.=

 On the Spindle, along the threads... time is meaningless.  The
 threads of the current weave their patterns... the many universes,
 each winding downtime.  Some threads wind downtime in solitude. 
 Some threads, wrapped into loops, slowly fade, never finding a way
 downtime.  Such threads are generally wispy, translucent even to
 the vision of an Ĉon.  Only a very few of them would touch other
 threads.  Some would find their way downtime, but many would not.

 Some threads, however, are particularly strong and resilient, woven
 about with related threads and loops.  Had the Ĉon had language in
 the traditional sense, they would have referred to such a formation
 as a "spool."  Spools were at once the strongest and most delicate
 of formations under the protection of the Eternal.  Strength came
 from infinite possibilities.  Some beings in the matter matrix along
 a spool could sometimes almost touch the other threads... sense the
 alternate possibilities.  Others could actually touch the threads
 themselves, unknowingly travelling from thread to thread and
 changing their reality in the process.  But weakness came from this
 interrelatedness as well: a flaw opened along one thread of a spool
 could swiftly spread to the others, putting the entire spool at risk.

 Spools were treasured for their strength -- only the strongest
 threads survived the Adversary -- but spools required eternal
 vigilance.  Many spools had been lost to Ĉntropie uptime, and many
 more would no doubt be lost before the final victory of the
 Adversary.  Just as for the threads, battle for control of the
 spools was unending.

 There was the barest ripple as the being that had once called itself
 Jeremy Ironside touched the thought matrix, brushing against the
 consciousness of the being that had once called itself Brian Aldur. 
 Space was just as meaningless as time along the threads, but the two
 could have been said to be watching over a particular spool.

 ||A tear has formed,|| Ironside said, his thoughts brushing along
 the matrix.

 ||It has always been there,|| Aldur replied, his thoughts almost
 amused with the irony in his statement.  ||Some in this spool have
 learned to touch the threads indirectly... some on the matter matrix
 here even tie the threads together, after a fashion--||

 ||Their interference should not be allowed,|| Ironside interrupted. 
 ||The Adversary may well intervene.||

 ||The Adversary has already intervened... but we may not,|| Aldur
 replied, unmoved by the interruption.  The being that had once
 called itself Brian Aldur believed that if those on the matter
 matrix learned of the battle between Ĉon and Ĉntropie, they would
 side with the Eternal... and so should be allowed to touch the
 threads if their skill and courage were sufficient to do so. 
 ||Ĉntropie rules already along that thread,|| he said, "pulling" the
 spool closer to examine it.  ||Our intervention would be prevented.||

 ||Then the spool is lost?|| Ironside asked.  He found it difficult
 to believe.  He had been downtime... had seen this particular spool
 tied to the Spindle, and the spool there was strong.  Stronger than
 it was here, in fact.  Aldur confirmed the thought.

 ||No,|| he said.  ||We may not interfere here...||  The spool
 shifted under the attentions of the young Ĉon, twisting in its grip
 until another part of it lay bare.  ||But we may intervene here,||
 he said.  ||Here, the Adversary is weak, and the possibility exists
 to save the spool.||

 Ironside looked at the portion of the spool that Aldur held.  It was
 far uptime of the tear, but on the Spindle, all time and all space
 were connected.  So it was on the Spindle, and truly, so it was on
 the matter matrix as well.  ||Those downtime will feel the effects
 of our intervention... they will remember,|| he said.

 Had he been able to, Aldur would have smiled.  It was clear that he
 approved of the idea.  ||Should we be successful, their memory will
 strengthen the spool and bring harm to the Adversary,|| he said. 
 The slightest adjustment to the Spindle... the slightest ripple...
 and the two slipped into the matter matrix to do battle with the
 agents of Ĉntropie.


 =/.= October 2378 =/.=

 The Federation Science Council LORASON sensor array cluster in the
 Indari system was extraordinarily sensitive.  The ripple in
 spacetime was actually visible to the cluster for a few
 microseconds.  However, such ripples were common in that region of
 space; subspace there had been damaged by Romulan weapons during the
 Tomed Incident.  The ripple was duly logged, but was small enough
 that it didn't even earn a look from a sentient until many years
 later.


 =/.= October 2402 =/.=

 Sieven Drexler awoke with a start, coming out of bed in a rush of
 blankets and a small pillow.  The latter two items hit the floor in
 a pile, the pillow bouncing four meters from the bed.  Drexler
 himself rushed to the mirror in the Captain's stateroom aboard
 U.S.S. Coronado, thumbing on the lights as he did so.  For a few
 seconds, he stared at his reflection in horror, his heart hammering
 in his chest.

 The second face superimposed on his reflection -- sadder, a bit
 wiser than his own face, but undoubtedly his own face -- faded after
 a moment.  The memories that had come with the superimposed
 reflection did not.

\_______________________________________________________________________ 
\ End Simulation Teaser                                                 |
 ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ 

 Defenders Task Group 85.3, "Whitestone" Staff:
    Commanding, TG 85.3:       RADM Tebrun Lora Kor      (Jester)
    S-1, Group Adjutant:       Cmdr. Sieven Drexler      (Brad)
    S-2, Group Intelligence:   LCdr. Kariasa Ma'Aru      (Kari)
    S-3, Group Logistics:      Cmdr. Savant              (Savant)

 U.S.S. Coronado Crew Roster:
    Commanding Officer:        Capt. William Daren       (Daren)
    Executive Officer:         Cmdr. Darek Smith         (Aggie)
    Marine Commandant:         Col. Jeremy Ironside      (Fraser)
    Raptors Squadron Leader:   Lt. Colonel Thomas Wayne  (Masters)
    Chief Tactical Officer:    LCdr. Kyle Marcy          (Marcy)
    Assistant Tactical:        Ens. Tamarith             (Tamarith)
    Chief Flight Operations:   Ens. Maiko D'Rall         (Farrell)
    Chief Science Officer:     LCdr. Isamu Dyson         (Isamu)
    Assistant Science:         Ens. Veyla Anari          (Vaath)
    Company Commander:         Maj. Jacob Prescot        (Shadow-FjP)
    Chief Engineer:            Cmdr. Zunite Oswald       (Sonya)
    Assistant Engineer:        LCdr. Jack C. Farley      (CCC)
    Assistant Engineer:        Lt. Aramis Skylooker      (LewisSharp)
    Chief Medical Officer:     Lt. (JG) Jason Vogel      (Thompson)
    Assistant Medical:         Lt. Lauren Dyson          (Natty)
    Civilian Liaison:          S'buuth                   (rev)

 On Extended Leave of Absence:
    Flight Leader:             2Lt. Mikhail Petkovic     (Archyyt)

 Positions Available:
    Flight Leader:                                       (---)

------
Jester

Rear Admiral Tebrun Lora Kor
Commanding, Defenders Task Group 85.3, "Whitestone"
embarked on U.S.S. Coronado, NCC-97901
http://www.jestertrek.com/coro2400/