~\\_               
          \\\\_             
          `\\\\\            -----------------------------------------
           |\\\\\           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 Teaser                        
  _///~                     Stardate 240301.13                       
 `                          
 _______________________________________________________________________ 
/ Simulation Teaser                                                     |
/ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ 

 Olmy entered Alexandria at just past 0400 local, landing his shuttle
 in the docking facilities of one of the larger apartment complexes. 
 Once upon a time, before the evacuation centuries earlier, this
 entire part of Alexandria had been occupied by Euclidians, people
 seeking a much simpler lifestyle.  Olmy had been one of them once,
 as had his entire family, but that had been a long time ago.
 
 The new occupants of Alexandria didn't notice his shuttle, or if
 they did, they called it in as another "boojum sighting."  Olmy was
 used to it.  The sensors that these people used were primitive, but
 one of them had somehow managed to befriend Alicia, no doubt due to
 her long loneliness.  Alicia, of course, could see the wakes the
 shuttles generated even when hidden.  Olmy could do nothing about
 either the sightings, or Alicia's difficulties... not without
 consulting with the Nexus.  He exited the shuttle; this particular
 building was deserted and there was no one to see him.  The Frant
 stayed in the shuttle as Olmy entered the apartment building.  It
 was very much as he remembered it.  Entering the tubelift, he rode
 it to level 23, then stepped off and approached the Alicia terminal.
 
 "Activate unit 2317," he picted at the unit.
 
 Alicia appeared, demure and helpful as always.  "Access to this
 building is restricted on the orders of the Central Nexus, I'm
 afraid," she said.  "Do you have authorization to activate units in
 this building?"
 
 "I do," Olmy picted, then flashed his Nexus authorizations.  The
 pictor unit on his shoulder responded directly to his thoughts,
 providing the data that Alicia required.  "Please activate unit
 2317, and furnish and decorate it as it was when it was occupied by
 the Olmy-Liad-Secor triad family."
 
 "Are you a member of that family?" Alicia asked.
 
 "I am," Olmy picted.
 
 Alicia accessed Olmy's personnel records, then nodded pleasantly. 
 "Welcome back, Ser," she said.  "Unit activated... decoration
 complete.  You may proceed.  And if I may say so, it is well to see
 you again," she said.  Olmy nodded and left the terminal, heading
 for the apartment.
 
 Entering, a flood of centuries-old memories came back to him.  There
 was where he had first played with the Frant, and there was the
 couch that he had spilled kaff on so long ago...  Shaking his head
 to clear it, he approached the transmitter platform.  There was too
 much to do to spend time revisiting old memories.
 
 "Nexus... this is Olmy," he picted at the unit.  A moment later, it
 activated, and the local Advocate, Suri Ram Kikura, appeared.
 
 "Olmy," she picted.  "Are you well?  It is long since I last saw
 you."
 
 "I am well, Suri," Olmy picted in return.  "Please listen carefully.
 Alexandria has been reoccupied."
 
 "Reoccupied?  But that is difficult to believe.  From another portal
 in the Way?" she asked through her pictor.
 
 "No," Olmy picted in return.  "The occupants have come from Outside,
 through Xanadu... and Suri, they are human... or at least some of
 them are," he picted.  "I have been Outside, and the Engineer was
 correct.  There has been a whiplash effect.  Xanadu has returned to
 M64."
 
 ---------------
 
 "Dear Jeremiah,
 
 "I know it's been a long time since you heard from me, and I'm
 sorry.  They probably told you that I was dead... not quite yet! 
 It takes a lot more than a mess like this to kill an Aldur, or a
 Kile too, as I'm sure your father has told you.
 
 "I'm sure you read your father's letter before you read your stodgy
 old Great Uncle Brian's, and by now, you know that we don't have any
 way of coming home to Titan.  I'm sure you're filled with all the
 doubts and the fears in the world... it's only natural.  But you're
 a tough kid, strong and smart... much smarter than the jarheads you
 share a family with.  I'm sure you'd be on your way to join us out
 here if you could, and you probably don't understand why you can't.
 
 "But all of us have our place, and our destiny... most of us don't
 know what that destiny is.  You, however... are different.  I've
 *seen* a part of your destiny out here in M64, Jeremiah, and it's
 glorious!  You cannot believe the future that waits for you, and I
 wish I could tell you some of it, but the only piece I can tell you
 is this: you must remain in the Milky Way Galaxy.
 
 "That's going to be a hard thing for you to understand that right
 now, especially since I know you've heard by now that we're asking
 for settlers and colonists to come through the Traxati hypergate to
 M64.  But Jeremiah... I love you, but you cannot be one of them. 
 Your destiny lies in the home galaxy.  Again, I wish I could tell
 you more, but I can't.  You're going to have to trust Tanner and I;
 I know he's told you the same thing I am.  You probably won't see
 either of us again, but we'll write you as often as we're able.
 
 "Now, let me tell you a little something about this galaxy we find
 ourselves in, because I'm sure your old man didn't say much about
 that..."
 
 ---------------
 
 Rear Admiral Dev Wallace and Admiral Charles Theron were finding,
 more and more often, that they had a lot in common.  Their attitudes
 about a number of topics were similar, they had similar
 personalities... they even -- quite often -- independently came up
 with the same solutions to problems.
 
 How the two men agreed to deal with Xanadu's fourth chamber was a
 typical example.  In the end, Vice Admiral Aldur had reluctantly
 agreed that their solution was probably for the best.
 
 It started simply enough.  Without knocking and without any further
 prelude, Wallace charged into Theron's flag quarters aboard U.S.S.
 Churchill, recently vacated by Rear Admiral Lora Kor after the fight
 in the Longshot system.  The door swung ide for him, and Wallace
 entered the space at nearly a dead run.
 
 "Admiral, we've broken through to both the third and fourth
 chambers!" he said, charging into the room.
 
 Theron looked up from where he was unpacking a satchel on the bed. 
 His expression was just a touch amused.  "And that's bad?  Dev,
 what's the problem?  We've been trying to think of a way into the
 third chamber for weeks.  How'd we do it?"
 
 Wallace nodded impatiently, waving off Theron's question.  "Admiral,
 I know... but what we've found there... we're going to have to put
 a lid on this fast, or we're going to have a panic on our hands."
 
 The older man frowned.  "What's the problem?" he asked.
 
 Without answering directly, Wallace turned toward the viewscreen in
 the flag quarters and activated.  "Computer, call up the analysis of
 the fourth chamber from science team delta."  Manipulating the data
 as it came in, Wallace found the display he anted and activated it,
 then turned toward Theron.
 
 It took the older man a few moments to see the problem.  "Wait...
 that can't be right," he said, frowning more deeply.
 
 "Admiral, I assure you that it is.  We've rechecked the data twice.
 It's incontrovertible," Wallace said, voice still rushed.
 
 "But that... that's impossible, Dev!  It can't be!"
 
 "Charlie, every time someone says that about the Jjaro, I'm growing
 convinced that they hear it and come up with something new just to
 shut us up."
 
 Theron approached the display more closely, touching it with his
 fingertips.  "If this data is right..." he breathed, then nodded. 
 "You're right.  We lock this down.  Immediately.  We dig a hole and
 bury it.  Nobody finds out about this until we decide how to
 announce it.  Nobody.  Who knows about this?"
 
 "The science team," Wallace said.  "The team coordinator, Commander
 Vaskayana.  Me.  And now you," he said.
 
 Theron frowned.  "You forgot someone," he said, pointing at the
 ceiling, then called out.  "Savant!"
 
 In a flicker, the holographic interface appeared, floating a few
 centimeters off the deck, hands clasped, her ever-pleasant
 expression firmly in place.  "Yes, Admiral?"
 
 "Have you been monitoring the progress of science team..." Theron
 paused, searching for the designation.
 
 "Delta, Admiral," Wallace supplied.
 
 Theron nodded.  "Delta.  Are you familiar with their results?"
 
 Savant nodded.  "Quite, Admiral.  Very impressive, wouldn't you say?
 Opens up a whole new area of interspati--"  Theron hissed.
 
 "Commander, I don't suppose you can forget information once you've
 learned i--"  At Savant's expression, Theron nodded, sober.  "I
 thought not.  Very well," he said, straightening up.  His voice
 became command-clear, command-firm.  At his every order, Wallace
 nodded agreement.  "In that case, I order you not to speak about
 this matter... to anyone!  Is that understood?  And I want the
 science team's data classified to the highest possible extent! 
 Nobody finds out about this.  We'll have to tell a few more of the
 key command personnel, but that's it."
 
 "Yes, Admiral," Savant said, frowning very slightly.  "But are you
 sure that's wise?  I'm sure that the fact that the third chamber
 barrier was breached is known to--"
 
 Theron interrupted again.  "Commander, it's a rumor, nothing more. 
 Nobody find out about this.  Nobody."

\_______________________________________________________________________ 
\ 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 of Operations:       Cmdr. Olme Tlaloco        (rev)
    Chief Flight Operations:   Lt. (JG) Maiko D'Rall     (Farrell)
    Chief Tactical Officer:    LCdr. Kyle Marcy          (Marcy)
    Assistant Tactical:        Ens. Tamarith             (Tamarith)
    Assistant Tactical:        Ens. Senik                (Stefan)
    Company Commander:         Maj. Jacob Prescot        (Shadow-FjP)
    Flight Leader:             LMaj. Thirishar ch'Thane  (Alffred)
    Chief Engineer:            Cmdr. Zunite Oswald       (Sonya)
    Assistant Engineer:        LCdr. Jack C. Farley      (CCC)
    Assistant Engineer:        Lt. Aramis Skylooker      (LewisSharp)
    Chief Science Officer:     LCdr. Isamu Dyson         (Isamu)
    Chief Medical Officer:     Cmdr. Alec Reed           (McC)
    Assistant Medical:         Lt. Lauren Dyson          (Natty)
    Bartender:                 PO/1 Bridget Bordeux      (Dolin)

 On Extended Leave of Absence:
    None!

 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/