A Coalition Storm

[Malaclypse 666]

To: Premier Katz, SCRA
Comm ID: Malaclypse, TAZ
Via: Secure FnordNet Link

Premier,

I hope you are receiving this. Even our FnordNet transponders are suffering due to the current storm.

However, I have one item of interest which your scientists may find of interest. Our FnordNet sensors in Dauphine have picked up something unusual, possibly linked to the storm.

As you may know, we have an interest in the Privas "Formation" near Briancon in Dauphine. We believe it is somehow linked to quite a few ancient Terran legends about contact with extraterrestrials from the vicinity of Sirius. Whether this "contact" was actually physcial, or of some transmission generated from Sirius, is yet to be determined.

However, our sensors near the Privas formation seem to indicate an increased radiation flux from the "apexes" of the four outer bodies. This increase began about the same time as the ion storm, and seems to be on the order of 15% in magnitude.

We will continue to monitor the Artifact, and inform you of any further developments.

Mal

---

[arvg]

Alvarez shrugged in his oversized leather jacket as the elevator whisked them to the bridge.

"You know the lab is down below, eh?" he stated, walking out onto the bridge and taking the command chair. "You want to fix the problem, bella, you should go down, eh?"

---

[Shagohad]

"Then why the hell did you-" She sighed. She didn't care anymore. If anything, she wanted to shoot him. Instead of arguing about it, she just headed to the elevator, descending into the lab.

---

"THE HULL HAS BEEN BREACHED AND THE SCIENCE IS LEAKING OUT!"

[arvg]

Lt. Borodin guided her through the ship to the lab area, where the artifacts sat, vibrating in a dischordant cacophony of din.

He slipped on a set of earprotectors and handed her the same. Connected by a directional microphone, the two could talk, despite the racket around them.

In the main lab, scientists seemed to star helplessly at the artifacts.

"We don't know why," Borodin admitted when he saw her perplexed face. "One minute they are quiet, the next they are pitching an aware winning fit. I'd love to tell you why, but I have no idea... it's not like we had any experiments scheduled."

He sighed, "I remember Ion Storm Anastasia, that was the direct result of a test gone wrong... but Boris, he seems to have no direct trigger."

The seven artifacts sat in a ring on diagnostic pedastals, surrounding the heavily throbbing powercell that appeared to be directly feeding them power.

"Doctor Zhivago thought it would be a good idea to try to disconnect them from the powercell," Borodin said, gesturing across the lab to where the good doctor was donning a bomb-disposal suit. "He can try on your orders, Commrade-Lt. Commander."

---

[Shagohad]

Anastasia was a nightmare. The whole sector had been put out of action for over two weeks. That could not happen again. With a deep breath, she gave a nod to the man. "Anything to stop this...we created this monster; I think it's time to kill it," She noticed the rather confused expression on the man's face, "Well...at least put it to rest. Didn't mean to..." She trailed off.

---

"THE HULL HAS BEEN BREACHED AND THE SCIENCE IS LEAKING OUT!"

[arvg]

Alverez glanced up at an unfamiliar alarm sounding in the bridge.

He stood and walked to the unfamiliar console, glancing over the strange touch panels and pressing the one that was flashing.

The screen lit up with a tactical overlay of surrounding space, the RECON system was tracking an inbound ship, the configuration could have been Kusari, but the sensors were distorted by the fury of the storm.

He stepped back, and clicked the TAC-radio in the pocket of his jacket. "All hands, we have an inbound contact. Action stations, alert condition one..."

---

[Shagohad]

The sound was heard even over the din of the artifacts. All heads were turned up. "And that is REALLY bad," Angie said rather calmly. "We'll have to cut this short."

Before anything could be said, she was already in the elevator, ascending to the bridge. Once she got there, she had no idea what she would say to this Alvarez character.

---

"THE HULL HAS BEEN BREACHED AND THE SCIENCE IS LEAKING OUT!"

[arvg]

Alvarez inclined his head to her, pointing to the console, "I have no idea how this ship works. All this Order technology gives me a headache, si? We have a ship there..." he pointed to the screen. "And now we have you in the command chair, this is muy Beuno, si? You will kill them all now?"

---

[Shagohad]

Angie growled. "You're a Commander. You are proving so useless! Stand in the back, shut up, and observe!" Once again, there was command in her voice. Her finger swung towards a bewildered crewman. "You! Get me a scan of the target." Swung to another. "You! Hail them!" Then to another. "You! Bring the damn guns online!"

Her motions were cat-like as she swung into the captain's chair, straightening her hair and trying to make herself presentable. "Tell me when you have them on scopes," She hissed at the man that was assigned to hailing the newcomer.

---

"THE HULL HAS BEEN BREACHED AND THE SCIENCE IS LEAKING OUT!"

[arvg]

Alvarez smiled, "Captain, I am a Captain, and I am the man who taught you how to fly a Storm, Bella, eh, just because I do not know how to fly an Order vessel does not make me useless." He crossed his arms and leaned on a bulkhead. "You will do wise to not talk back, eh? Do your job and not complain, si?"

There was an air of menace that indicated that Alvarez's patience with the Lt. Commander was growing short.

---