Episode 03 The Stowaway

*"There is more to people than to scorpions."*
—**Azeri Sull**

## **Preshow Announcements**

* Thanks to QuestDesignCanada for the U.S.S. Ross plaque
* ‘’Vampire: LA By Night’’ returns Friday
* New Pantheon hit its halfway point
* Library Bards to be at PAX East
* Aki at Scabby Rooster
* Orientation packet released for the U.S.S. Ross on Eric’s Patreon, to be posted to the fan Discord tomorrow. The included Ross tech schematics are by Thomas Marrone, lead ship designer at Star Trek Online.
* Shoutout to Gina DeVivo for gluing Bonnie Gordon’s ears to her headband
* Sam de Leve part of B. Dave’s filming of Battlelords of the 23rd Century
* Shoutout to the Discord roleplay and mods
* Sam is excited
* **League of Whimsey RP channel count**: approximately 7,000

## **Plot Synopsis**

### **Brief Overview**

The crewmembers familiarize themselves with the ship, learning about its various unique features. They experience some brief down time before interviewing the Romulan defector, who has just awakened for the first time in two weeks.

The Romulan tells them he has defected because he believes Sela is making a grab for power and must be stopped. He wanted passage to the Neutral Zone on the Ross because his family was in danger. Now that he is presumed dead, he believes his family is safe, and he has no plan for what to do next. The crew decides to surgically alter his appearance and allow him to work on the *Ross* in deep cover, hoping to discover his next move or uncover the plans the Tal Shiar might have for him without his knowledge.

The ship abruptly comes to a halt when an antimatter mix problem in the warp core triggers a shutdown safety feature. The crew discovers that it was caused by a life-form in the intermix chamber of the warp core, which is eating the antimatter. It vaguely resembles a sea cucumber. They beam EXEO into the core to get a better look. The crew successfully retrieves the creature without harming it, and places it in a containment field with antimatter to eat. The crew nicknames the creature Dill, before depositing it safely in a pocket of antimatter in a nearby singularity.

As the episode closes, the Romulan informs M'Qrell that he has chosen a new face.

###  **Pre-Break**

*Scene 1: Introduction (12:35)*

Two weeks have passed into the *Ross*' nearly six week journey to Starbase 24. In that time, the engineering crew has been working overtime to deal with the many minor issues have arisen as the ship's multiple complex technologies interact for the first time. Lt. Zhyliss Vrenn has been showing a talent for feeling out potential for improvements to the ship's helm.

During the trip, crewmembers have familiarized themselves with various areas of the ship and met their bartender, Solun, an unconventional Vulcan who does not practice Vulcan emotional discipline.

*Scene 2: Main Sickbay / The Bridge / Main Engineering (31:00)*

Chief medical officer M'Qrell is monitoring the Romulan defector in Sickbay, who has been quarantined from the rest of the crew by order of Starfleet for security reasons.

The Romulan, who still externally appears human, awakens, weak and disoriented but grateful to be aboard the *Ross*. He urgently requests to speak with Ambassador Olyn Madzhin-Nil.

Meanwhile, Vrenn and Jane Lakat banter on the bridge about doing science and the theoretical speed of the *Ross*. Captain Azeri Sull walks past in the middle of their discussion, prompting Lakat to give them an awkward thumbs-up.

In engineering, Ensign Aulyn Dari informs Chief Theq Lynadas that a rivalry has been developing between the primary and secondary warp core engineering teams. Lynadas is alarmed, but suggests Dari help build a friendly competition through sports. Dari immediately decides to make it an Ushaan tournament.

   Commander EXEO is spending quiet time in the holodeck. The simulation around her is of room with overhead lighting above a polished wood floor like that of a dance studio, but the edges of the room fade to blackness. She is dancing in a flowing, contemporary style to a loud, orchestral piece by Tchaikovsky. As the music fades, the door chimes and admits Sull, who is collecting EXEO on their way to visit the Romulan in Sickbay.

Sull and EXEO take the Jeffries tubes, which now use mag-lev technology, to make their way to Sickbay.

*Scene 2: Main Sickbay, Secure Room (1:00:30)*

Sull, EXEO, and Madzhin-Nil visit sickbay, where M'Qrell is tending to the Romulan defector. The Romulan is uneasy, but Madzhin-Nil uses her Deltan empathic abilities to calm him.

The Romulan says he considered himself a patriot while working as a Tal Shiar agent for Sela, and he did so because he "honestly believes" they look out for the Romulan people as "the glue that holds the empire together." Senator Yareth, who many predicted to become the next Praetor, was assassinated. He claims he defected because he believes Sela has become too power hungry and plans to seize power as an absolute monarch. He fears this will cause a "shadow civil war" in the empire.

The Romulan admits he used his training in finding gullible targets to determine Madzhin-Nil would be trustworthy and likely to respond to his request for help, due to their "selfless streak," as he put it. He also says he worked seven years undercover in Starfleet, never knowing if each day would be his last because of the chip implanted in his brain.

When they tell the Romulan Starfleet has disseminated the lie that he has died, Madzhin-Nil detects his immense relief, as he believes that will protect his family. Now, he says, he has no plan for the future, as his only concern was returning to Romulus to protect his family.

M'Qrell suggests altering his appearance again, to which he enthusiastically agrees. Sull tells him he should start thinking of ways to be useful aboard the *Ross*. Madzhin-Nil warns him not to approach them from behind again, lest he test their patience (a play on their dog's name).

*Scene 3: Main Conference Room (1:25:00)*

The senior staff assemble and debrief in the conference room. Madzhin-Nil says they believe the defector. Lynadas objects to spending resources on helping the defector, who is both a security risk and likely to die soon from the implant's complications. Sull makes clear that saving his life is as high a priority as saving any other life.

EXEO notes that the Romulan was trying to take advantage of the presumption of kindness that goes along with the Starfleet uniform, according to her read. She is also certain that he has no idea what to do next now that he is presumed dead. Finally, she determined that he is suspicious that he is alive.

As the crew begins to theorize about bluffs hidden inside of bluffs, Sull apologizes that the crew is being asked to work in counter-intelligence, though they had signed up for a mission of exploration.

Security chief Yeri Prahl hides it well and outwardly supports the captain, but Madzhin-Nil detects he is hiding "overwhelming" anger. Prahl eventually suggests locking the Romulan up, despite any consequences to him or his family, and Lynadas agrees. Prahl requests to go on record as recommending he be confined to the brig.

Eventually, the crew decides the best course of action is to allow him to work undercover aboard ship as a maintenance worker under Lynadas, with mandatory check-ins with M'Qrell and counseling sessions with EXEO.

Suddenly, the ship comes to a full stop and flashes into yellow alert as the primary warp core goes offline. The Romulan agent is unconscious.

*Scene 4: Main Engineering (1:53:00)*

Lynadas rushes to engineering and discovers the warp core went off line because the antimatter balance is severely out of alignment. A secondary power source is building up in the warp core, and dissonant low yield displacement waves have masked a multi-day drop in antimatter.

Lakat arrives in engineering and scans to discover something living in the warp core.

### **Post-Break**

The scene opens where it left off. Lakat asks Dari to verify the tricorder is functioning correctly, it is. The scan reveal it is a life-form, about 0.5 meters long, and it vaguely resembles a sea cucumber. Theq calls EXEO for help, and she blips over. Lakat and Theq ask if EXEO can enter the warp core to get the creature. Dari explains that they will have to beam her in. They all discuss the risks and rewards of attempting to beam EXEO into the warp core. Lakat's scans indicate that the longer the life-form goes without antimatter, the larger the displacement waves will get, which will destroy the ship. The urgency makes the decision. Theq calls for the transporter chief, CPO Singh.

Singh, with Theq's assistance, begins beaming EXEO's ring into the warp core. However, the transport goes wrong, and they are unable to stop it. Inside the warp core, the ring is beginning to fail, and EXEO has only a few seconds before it's lost. EXEO takes a quick assessment of the creature as Theq pushes aside Singh and transports the ring out of the warp core. Lakat calls M'Qrell for assistance. She begins brainstorming a containment chamber for the creature. M'Qrell scans it, and determines that it's dying, and removing it from the warp core will kill it unless they can create a proper environment with antimatter to eat. Theq replies that he doesn't care if the creature dies, they need to save the ship. Various people make various suggestions, including beaming it into a shuttle warp core, or the ship's secondary warp core. The situation gets chaotic.

Theq steps up and takes control of the situation, forcefully. He orders M'Qrell and EXEO to design a way to feed the creature, and Lakat and Dari to build a containment field. EXEO expresses pride at Theq's ability to take control. Lakat and Dari successfully build a containment field. EXEO and M'Qrell successfully devise a way to keep the creature fed. Theq and Singh beam the creature into the containment field. Theq orders everyone out of the engine room so he can put his darn warp core back together.

In the episode wrap up, Lakat and M'Qrell take the creature to sickbay, and the warp core comes back online. The crew search for a suitable location to deposit the creature, and locate an antimatter pocket near a black hole. Lakat refuses to leave the creatures side until it's gone. The crew names it Dill.

As the creature is beamed off ship, M'Qrell gets a call from the Romulan. She goes to sickbay, where he informs her that he has chosen a face.

## **Cast**

* Eric Campbell - Game Master
* Revati Dhomse - Jane Lakat
* Gina De Vivo - EXEO
* Sam de Leve - Azeri Sull
* Aki - Olyn Madzhin-Nil
* Xander Jeanneret - Theq Lynadas
* Bonnie Gordon - M'Qrell

## **Non-Player Character**

* Aulyn Dari
* Yeri Prahl
* Zhyliss Vrenn
* Amandeep Singh
* Solun
* Wellix

## **Notable Lines**

*"Do not ever approach me from behind again — especially not when my dog is around. You would not want to test my Patience."*
—**AMB Olyn** Wellix

*"There is more to people than to scorpions."*
—**Azeri Sull** regarding the fable of the Scorpion and the Frog

## **Notes and Trivia**

* According to the episode's intro, the travel time between Starbase 1 and Starbase 24 is 1 month, 16 days, 17 hours. From there to Narendra Station is an additional 1 month, 11 days, 4 hours.
* Much of the *Ross* is described in the narrative intro section of this episode, including a full description of the promenade (18:40), mention of cetacean ops, and descriptions of the computer core (23:30), stellar cartography (25:40), the main shuttle bay (26:30), and Ten Forward (27:00). Later in the episode, the upgraded Jeffries tubes (56:17) and main sickbay (1:00:40) are described.
* According to the episode's intro, the *Ross*' computer core is based on concept design art from Galaxy Class starships.