S1- M6 - Under a Killing Holodeck

[Fala Awen]

[Holodeck 1, Victorian London]

Caelene watched the others quietly. It was a little overwhelming to take everything in at first. A few more crewmembers trickled in and then, of course, Steve appeared. The Trill frowned slightly; how had Steve gotten in? Perhaps she and Ardyn would have to look at the holographic velociraptor's coding later on.

As a few of the others headed for the circus, Caelene slowly meandered down another street. She wasn't looking for anything specific, really. Mostly she just wanted to take it all in and look around. As she passed others, she would offer a small smile or slight nod.

Hat shops, dress shops, bakeries, museums, and more lined either side of the street. Caelene walked through a theater district, where the various theaters and opera houses advertised the evening's show. The British Museum looked rather impressive from the outside as well. Circling around, she passed through Soho - an eclectic mix of churches, hospitals, shops, theaters, and houses of ill-fame with red lit doorbells. Caelene did her best to hurry past the more questionable areas.

Hearing some bells tolling, her eyes searched the area until she found the source. Apparently it was 1630 already...time to head to afternoon tea.

[Outside Dorchester House, 1650 hours]

After a brisk walk, Caelene finally stood outside of Dorchester Houses's fence. She circled around until she found what appeared to be the main gate, which currently stood open.

As she was about to walk up to what seemed to be the front door, Caelene saw some of crewmates arriving. Allowing them to catch up, the Trill slowed her pace so they could reach the door together. Caelene reached up and used the doorknocker, tapping it sharply two times.

Shortly thereafter, the door opened and a serious looking man who appeared to be in his fifties, with neatly combed grey hair, looked at the visitors. "Ladies, Gentleman, welcome to Dorchester House. You may call me Hall (NPC). Please, come in."

The butler stepped back, opening the door wide to allow them to enter. Their first few of Dorchester House was impressive...a grand staircase dominated the entry - it was a sight unlike anything Caelene had seen. Beyond the sheer scale, the arches and, in particular, the columns were magnificent. She stared silently, taking it all in. Somehow she felt under-dressed for their surroundings.

"If you'll follow me, please, afternoon tea will be served in the green drawing room," Hall explained as he gestured to the left and moved with purposeful strides. If nothing else, the man was efficient.

They were led through various hallways, passing artwork and sculptures. The butler slowed and nodded towards an open doorway with intricate inlays. "As you can see, the tables have been set. Feel free to take any seat you like; Doctor Drury and the other guests will be shown in momentarily. Later on, dinner will be served in the dining room," Hall explained.

Caelene allowed a couple of the others to enter first before following along behind them. A chandelier graced the ceiling, which was beyond ornate. A magnificent marble fireplace stood at one end of the room and paintings of all sizes adorned the walls. Several small tables were placed about the room and each had a silver teapot, teacups, and a tiered stand which contained small crust-less sandwiches, scones, and small desserts.

Impressed, and also curious about Doctor Drury and his guests, Caelene took a seat near the table nearest to the fireplace. She wasn't overly keen on waiting til everyone else was seated, and then having to choose a seat. This way, others could choose to sit with her if they wished.

The Trill's eyes slowly moved about the room, trying to take in as many details as possible. This program certainly felt special, but she was a little nervous to find out what kind of team building exercise they would be participating in. Perhaps they would learn more once the other guests arrived...or perhaps it wouldn't be revealed until dinner later on. They would find out soon enough.

OFF: Tag all

[Kirok]

[Holo]

EQ filed into the room after the others.  He kept his eyes locked on the butler.  More to observe his mannerisms and whatnot than anything else.

Once they we in the room with the food, EQ look a position near one of the walls with the other wait staff.  Once there he notices a water pitcher.  He picked it up and stared walking around the tables and filling empty glasses up.

[Kirok]

[Admiral's Quarters]

After Agent Ferguson entered the room he recounted the story of how Luther Sloan had manipulated things to for his own personal gain.  How Sloan had tried discredit the the half Vulcan and had tried to persuade the Shran crew to remove Kirok from his position as CO.  How Luther had ultimately tried to kill the half Vulcan, but had left him wheel chair bound instead.

"The Federation is at a critical time in history.  If you remain in your wheel chair, you will be seen as weak.  And your ability to lead will be called into question" Ferguson finally said.

[Fala Awen]

[Holodeck 1, Victorian England, Dorchester House, Green Drawing Room]

Caelene watched as the others took their seats. Each table had four chairs - presumably to accommodate the size of the tiered serving stands in the center of each. As one of her crewmates joined her, the Trill offered a small smile. At least she wouldn't be sitting completely alone.

A few minutes later, two other gentlemen entered the room. One was around Caelene's age with blonde hair pulled back in a pony tail. The other seemed older and more portly than the first; he had grey hair slicked back neatly. The younger of the two headed for Caelene's table and bowed slightly to the two already seated.

"Good afternoon," he said in a quiet voice with a rich tone to it. "It would seem I will be joining you this evening. I am Doctor William Adams (NPC), Doctor Drury's assistant."

Once her crewmate was introduced, Caelene answered as well, "My name is Caelene Tam, Doctor Adams. It's a pleasure to meet you. Won't you have a seat?" He certainly seemed nice enough, but since there was some kind of mystery involved, she felt it best to pay close attention and see if anything seemed amiss. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the older gentleman taking a seat at Ardyn's table.

"Thank you, Miss Tam," William responded as he sat. "I don't believe I have seen either of you here before... I thought I met nearly all of Doctor Drury's acquaintances since I began working for him. Or are you acquaintances of Miss Wright?"

Unsure what to say, Caelene glanced down at her plate before looking back up at him. "I'm a cousin of Doctor Drury's. I don't usually reside in London; I'm just here for the occasion."

Nodding slowly as he heard their responses, William said, "Ah, I see. So you're here due to the engagement. That should be quite the party tomorrow evening. It seems tonight is just tea and then a more intimate dinner with friends and relatives. Speaking of which..."

Just then a smartly dressed man with brown hair and mustache appeared in the doorway with a petite raven-haired woman in a red and black dress. He seemed to be a bit older than her, but not overly so. She walked in gracefully, hand gently laying on his arm.

"Wonderful to see all of you here! I do hope you're becoming acquainted with another. Of course, I hope you remember me, since this is my residence after all," Doctor Edward Drury (NPC) chuckled. "If any of you have not had the pleasure, allow me to introduce my fiancée, Miss Margaret Wright (NPC). We'll have plenty of time to socialize, but for now, please enjoy your tea. We'll retire to the library following tea and be seated for dinner promptly at eight o'clock."

"You always did know how to make a good entrance," the older man who had entered with William called out.

"I learned from the master, Doctor Jones (NPC)," Edward replied in kind. With a confident smile, Edward led Margaret to one of the tables that still had two places open. He pulled her chair out for her before seating himself and, presumably in part to inspire others, began filling his plate from the tiered stand. As he did, Margaret poured a cup of tea for both of them.

"Well, I have a feeling this evening will be entertaining, at least," William told them. "You'll probably need your strength; why don't we start eating as well?"

Shaken from her inappropriate staring at Edward and Margaret, Caelene quickly nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed. After getting a good look at her options, the Trill chose two of the small, rectangular crustless sandwiches from the bottom tier, a scone with some sort of dried fruit in it from the middle tier, and what appeared to be a small cake from the top tier. She watched William prepare his scone and then followed suit - cutting it in half, spreading a layer of clotted cream, and then a layer of raspberry jam.

Caelene poured herself a cup of tea, using the filter cup to keep out any stray tea leaves, and slowly began eating her sandwiches. As she did, she tried to calm herself as she slowly looked around the room at the others. It was a little unsettling, or perhaps intimidating, being in a fancy setting with people she didn't know. Not to mention the anticipation of whatever it was that would occur...

OFF: Tag all

[Kirok]

[Admiral's Quarters]

Kirok's right eyebrow arched at the man's last statement.  Just recently Ada said in a meeting that the half Vulcan was not the best choice for a diplomatic mission.  And if the AI thought it, then so must others.

Beyond that, the story the Ferguson had told 'rang true' to Kirok.  Time manipulation definitely helped to explain the odd feeling he had been getting at time of 'feeling out of place'.  Specifically as it related to some of his memories that now felt more like fiction or dreams instead of reality.

"If I am to believe you and I do believe I do, what do you propose?  How is it that you think you can fix this issue.  And before you give you answer, you should assume that I will not accept a personal benefit for myself with any conditions attached to it" Kirok said.

[James A. Hawke]

[Street]

James kept looking at the newspaper he was doing some research of the era and time.  As he looked at the newspaper.  He noticed Ardy peeking over his shoulder trying to read the newspaper.

."THREE  REPORTED MISSING, PRESUMED DEAD".
. "My, James, you're quite the gentleman, if I do say so myself." Tying a ribbon around her curious raptor's neck as a sort of leash, she set him down. "Shall we?"

James remained silent for a second and said "Kind of strange for a newspaper to publish something with very little details..."  James mind went into tactics when something does not add up there is usually something there another purpose.

As Ardy accepted he held extended his arm around her and began walking into the mansion.

"I don't think anyone has associated the term gentleman with James" Will said as he walked ahead, puffing his pipe. "So, what is our plan here Skip? Wander around and take it all in I'm assuming."
[/quote]

James heard Will's statement and gave him a fake scold and merely saying "Will".  James was not mad at all but he was playing his part of acting a little bit upset.  Both of them had know each other for a long time and they had playful banters back and forth.

"I might not be a gentleman, but at least I DON'T have to clean the Captain's shoes tomorrow morning"  James responded with a slight smile.

As he heard Will question James answered "I think we should go to the house, remember I am not in charge of this, we are all equal rank here"  James said.  For the duration of the mission he did not want to be called Captain, the point was for him to observe everyone individualistic leadership qualities.

[Dorchester House, Green Drawing Room]

As James walked in he was directed by the Butler into the room.  He stood in the room which was filled with tea and food.  He was tempted, to grab a bite but refused to do so.

As everyone else was socializing, James stood in the corner he was observing the crew interaction and their host.  James sat on the table into a seating he stopped Tam which was alone in the room and James said "Are you enjoying yourself?  This is quite a place"

[Ser Conley]

[Holodeck 1, Victorian England, Dorchester House, Green Drawing Room]

Caelene watched as the others took their seats. Each table had four chairs - presumably to accommodate the size of the tiered serving stands in the center of each. As one of her crewmates joined her, the Trill offered a small smile. At least she wouldn't be sitting completely alone.

A few minutes later, two other gentlemen entered the room. One was around Caelene's age with blonde hair pulled back in a pony tail. The other seemed older and more portly than the first; he had grey hair slicked back neatly. The younger of the two headed for Caelene's table and bowed slightly to the two already seated.

"Good afternoon," he said in a quiet voice with a rich tone to it. "It would seem I will be joining you this evening. I am Doctor William Adams (NPC), Doctor Drury's assistant."

Once her crewmate was introduced, Caelene answered as well, "My name is Caelene Tam, Doctor Adams. It's a pleasure to meet you. Won't you have a seat?" He certainly seemed nice enough, but since there was some kind of mystery involved, she felt it best to pay close attention and see if anything seemed amiss. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the older gentleman taking a seat at Ardyn's table.

"Thank you, Miss Tam," William responded as he sat. "I don't believe I have seen either of you here before... I thought I met nearly all of Doctor Drury's acquaintances since I began working for him. Or are you acquaintances of Miss Wright?"

Unsure what to say, Caelene glanced down at her plate before looking back up at him. "I'm a cousin of Doctor Drury's. I don't usually reside in London; I'm just here for the occasion."

Nodding slowly as he heard their responses, William said, "Ah, I see. So you're here due to the engagement. That should be quite the party tomorrow evening. It seems tonight is just tea and then a more intimate dinner with friends and relatives. Speaking of which..."

Just then a smartly dressed man with brown hair and mustache appeared in the doorway with a petite raven-haired woman in a red and black dress. He seemed to be a bit older than her, but not overly so. She walked in gracefully, hand gently laying on his arm.

"Wonderful to see all of you here! I do hope you're becoming acquainted with another. Of course, I hope you remember me, since this is my residence after all," Doctor Edward Drury (NPC) chuckled. "If any of you have not had the pleasure, allow me to introduce my fiancée, Miss Margaret Wright (NPC). We'll have plenty of time to socialize, but for now, please enjoy your tea. We'll retire to the library following tea and be seated for dinner promptly at eight o'clock."

"You always did know how to make a good entrance," the older man who had entered with William called out.

"I learned from the master, Doctor Jones (NPC)," Edward replied in kind. With a confident smile, Edward led Margaret to one of the tables that still had two places open. He pulled her chair out for her before seating himself and, presumably in part to inspire others, began filling his plate from the tiered stand. As he did, Margaret poured a cup of tea for both of them.

"Well, I have a feeling this evening will be entertaining, at least," William told them. "You'll probably need your strength; why don't we start eating as well?"

Shaken from her inappropriate staring at Edward and Margaret, Caelene quickly nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed. After getting a good look at her options, the Trill chose two of the small, rectangular crustless sandwiches from the bottom tier, a scone with some sort of dried fruit in it from the middle tier, and what appeared to be a small cake from the top tier. She watched William prepare his scone and then followed suit - cutting it in half, spreading a layer of clotted cream, and then a layer of raspberry jam.

Caelene poured herself a cup of tea, using the filter cup to keep out any stray tea leaves, and slowly began eating her sandwiches. As she did, she tried to calm herself as she slowly looked around the room at the others. It was a little unsettling, or perhaps intimidating, being in a fancy setting with people she didn't know. Not to mention the anticipation of whatever it was that would occur...

OFF: Tag all

"You know sometime I have to marvel at the detail."  Ser said to his compatriots.  Hoping he wasn't to overt.   His earl grey was exemplary as was to be expected.  so far Ser was having a great time.

"So when do we get t meet the this Doctor Drury." Ser asked. 

[T'Ra Jones]

[Shuttle]

T'Ra was seated in the pilot's chair with Evan standing directly behind her as the station loomed into view. "Shuttle Regence," came a voice through the shuttle's speakers, "you are cleared to approach Deep Space 5." She made the appropriate response before adjusting the controls to make the final approach, interrupted by Evan, who moved to wrap his arms around her torso.

"Schatz," she murmured with a soft smile, "I'm trying to work."

"I know," he replied, kissing the crown of her head. "I just wanted to remind you wie sehr ich dich lieb."

T'Ra finished what she had been doing before allowing herself to stop and admire the simple gold band that now adorned a finger on her left hand. She reached for his hand. "I'll never doubt that."

[USS Shran]

The pair spent a little time mulling around the station as they slowly made their way back to the Shran, which was docked at the station for repairs or something of the sort. Given all that the ship had been through during her brief tenure there, T'Ra felt it was about time for this.

When at last they reached their now shared personal quarters, Evan paused a moment, and T'Ra looked up at him to find that mischievous grin plastered across his face. She arched a brow, not even needing to ask what sort of wild thought was racing through his mind. "No," she told him.

"Aww, but c'mon," Evan laughed. "It is my duty to carry you across that threshold." T'Ra gave him a playful shove instead and pushed her way into the room, Evan in pursuit. She barely had time to shrug off her shoulder bag before the door chimed. Evan groaned. "What is it with people feeling the need to just barge into your quarters?"

"I would hardly call it Á¢â,¬Ëœbarging in'," she retorted, making her way back towards the door, "if they go through the trouble of pressing the chime first." The doors parted and a crewman in yellow stepped in. "What can I do for you, Miss?"

The crewman briefly dipped her head in a slight bow. "I have a message for you from Ada, and she requested that I deliver it verbally as soon as you came back. Á¢â,¬ËœIt is good to have you back on board, Commander. I'm sure you will understand that the Captain has become a little disorganized in your time away. I have drawn up a list of items that will be requiring your attention over the next few days, but first, Hawke has requested your presence, as well as that of a number of the crew, for a team building exercise in the holodeck, the details for which will also be on the padd.'" The crewman handed T'Ra the padd in question, dipping her head briefly again before excusing herself and heading out.

Evan reached for the padd, tugging it out of her hand. "There's not a whole lot of info on the exercise," he mumbled, but then he started to snicker. "Aside from stating that your attendance is required, it asks that you wear Victorian clothing."

"I'm not wearing a dress," T'Ra replied flatly. "I'll go, but I'm going to wear something less confining. An explorer's outfit perhaps."

"That'll make you something of a Á¢â,¬Ëœspace oddity' for the time period," Evan laughed. "I doubt many women, if any, dared to wear something other than a dress."

Rolling her eyes, T'Ra scoffed, "Whatever, Major Tom. But you should come too. No doubt the crew would appreciate seeing you somewhere other than Sickbay."

"Right... if you can't bring the crew to sickbay, you bring sickbay to the crew," Evan hooted. He had already started to pull off his uniform to start changing, glancing over at T'Ra every so often as she began to change as well. Soon the two were outfitted in their costumes, T'Ra in explorer's gear and Evan dressed like a doctor of the period. "What?" he laughed. "It seemed appropriate. Now let's get going."

[Holodeck]

Evan whistled as they strolled along the street, making their way towards the large mansion where the rest of the party was said to be. "You're awfully chipper," T'Ra remarked, slipping her hand into his.

"How could I not be?" Evan laughed, letting off a content sigh. "Here I am strolling through victorian England with the most remarkable Dame in all the land."

T'Ra didn't have a chance to reply, her attention piqued by a grey-haired gentleman who seemed to be waving at them. "I'm Dr. Drury's butler," he said, introducing himself as they got nearer. "You must be the other guests. He's expecting you. If you'll follow me this way."

Evan continued to whistle as they were led inside, but his tune had changed, causing T'Ra to glare at him. "But... the muffin man..." he sputtered, grinning unapologetically.

[William Waring]

[Street]

James kept looking at the newspaper he was doing some research of the era and time.  As he looked at the newspaper.  He noticed Ardy peeking over his shoulder trying to read the newspaper.
James remained silent for a second and said "Kind of strange for a newspaper to publish something with very little details..."  James mind went into tactics when something does not add up there is usually something there another purpose.

As Ardy accepted he held extended his arm around her and began walking into the mansion.

"I don't think anyone has associated the term gentleman with James" Will said as he walked ahead, puffing his pipe. "So, what is our plan here Skip? Wander around and take it all in I'm assuming."

James heard Will's statement and gave him a fake scold and merely saying "Will".  James was not mad at all but he was playing his part of acting a little bit upset.  Both of them had know each other for a long time and they had playful banters back and forth.

"I might not be a gentleman, but at least I DON'T have to clean the Captain's shoes tomorrow morning"  James responded with a slight smile.

As he heard Will question James answered "I think we should go to the house, remember I am not in charge of this, we are all equal rank here"  James said.  For the duration of the mission he did not want to be called Captain, the point was for him to observe everyone individualistic leadership qualities.

[Dorchester House, Green Drawing Room]

As James walked in he was directed by the Butler into the room.  He stood in the room which was filled with tea and food.  He was tempted, to grab a bite but refused to do so.

As everyone else was socializing, James stood in the corner he was observing the crew interaction and their host.  James sat on the table into a seating he stopped Tam which was alone in the room and James said "Are you enjoying yourself?  This is quite a place"

[Drawing Room]

Will followed the group to the 'Drawing Room' as they called it. He took a seat and was a little curious as to the nature of the situation. He thought up scenarios while he observed everyone.

After a moment he spoke "This is a very nice place. I should've brought a PADD to take notes about the decor." He said, looking around. It truly was a wonderful piece of design.

[Kirok]

[Admiral's Quarters]

"It might be easier if I show you rather than tell you, Admiral.  If you would not mind taking a trip with me.  I promise to bring you back without anyone knowing you have left.  And unharmed, of course" Ferguson said.

"My ship is just outside.  We can transport there" the Agent added.  He offered a smile to Kirok.

[Fala Awen]

[Holodeck 1, Victorian England, Dorchester House, Green Drawing Room]

Caelene smiled and nodded at James. He was right, it was quite the place. Part of her - the part influenced by Milara - was excited to be experiencing a different era. Everything seemed to be exactly right, which wasn't surprising. The computer was designed to emulate every aspect correctly to ensure that the experience was authentic.

As she watched, the last few crewmembers trickled into the drawing room - including T'Ra and Evan. The two found seats at one of the other tables nearby. With Evan joining them, it seemed that those in the medical profession made up the majority of those in the room. At least if someone needed a doctor there were plenty of options.

Caelene took a sip of her tea and eyed the food on her plate, debating where to start. The sandwiches seemed to be the proper way to go, but she had to admit to being more drawn to the scone.

A round of rather loud whispering caught her attention and the Trill looked over to her right, at Doctor Drury's (NPC) table. He seemed to be arguing with two of the staff members. After a brief conversation, both of them made a quick exit. One returned minutes later with a silver tray containing a teapot, tea cup, and a small plate with food on it.

Doing her best not to stare, Caelene turned her attention to her scone, splitting it in half with her knife and then spreading on a layer of clotted cream. She dolloped on some raspberry jam and carefully distributed it over the cream as she kept an eye on their host's table.

Doctor William Adams (NPC) followed her gaze and said, "Don't worry, he can get like that when something goes wrong. Most likely the staff somehow mixed up which tea was at his table and brought desserts that Miss Wright (NPC) wasn't fond of. It seems they've remedied the situation."

Actually, Caelene would have thought the staff would at least get the food and beverages for their boss correct, but perhaps some of them were new. She nodded and replied, "Hopefully they don't make the same mistakes at dinner as well..."

As the Trill was about to take a bite of her scone, she heard loud groans coming from Doctor Drury's table. This time she really couldn't help but look over.

Edward Drury was groaning loudly, clutching his stomach. Confusion and pain were written all over his face as he fell out of his chair and onto the floor. "Wha... What's happ.... It hurts!"

After what felt like an eternity, but was actually only a few moments, both Doctor Adams and Doctor Andrew Jones (NPC) got up and hurried over to their colleague. Andrew took Edward's pulse as William checked his eyes.

"Doctor! Doctor Drury, can you hear me," William asked urgently. His eyes moved to Andrew before glancing back at Caelene and James.

Nearly everyone had gotten out of the seats by now, including Caelene and her other table mates. For the most part, the guests kept a respectful distance, other than the Shran medical staff who were there and undoubtedly hoped to offer some form of assistance. James edged closer as well, probably a natural instinct due to his time in command.

Spotting Margaret still sitting at the table, Caelene moved over to her. "I'm sure he'll be all right. We do have an awful lot of doctors here; don't worry," the Trill said, trying to help keep the doctor's fiancée calm.

Suddenly the room was bathed in darkness amid Edward's cries of pain. Apparently the house's electricity had gone out and nobody had lit the fireplace yet. Startled shouts and gasps sounded across the room, and then a louder gasp of pain came from a voice that sounded like James...

Caelene gripped the back of Margaret's chair as Edward's loud groans finally ceased.

William's voice from the darkness said quietly, "He's dead..."

Candle and lamp light flickered from the hallway as several staff members rushed in, then stopped suddenly. A maid in a black dress hurried forward, bringing her lamp to illuminate what was happening. Edward and the other doctors were where they were before, except that their host now lay still, no longer breathing.

"Give me the lamp, Miss Lowry (NPC)," Andrew said quietly. As he was about to take it, he noticed a look of surprise on Emma's face. The doctor turned and looked over her shoulder, startled to see another guest with blood on his shirt. Frowning, he took the lamp and moved to help.

Before Caelene could say or do anything, Margaret flung herself down onto Edward's body and started sobbing, "No! Edward! Come back to me! You can't be dead... Edward!"

Caelene's eyes moved from Doctor Drury and his fiancée to James, who was now laying on the floor. What had happened? There wasn't a drop of blood on Drury. It didn't seem like he'd been stabbed, but James... And James shouldn't have been hurt - the holodeck's safety protocols were in place and should have prevented any kind of actual injury.

Knowing that there was nothing she could do for her commanding officer, the Trill stepped off to the side and tried to get the attention of some of her crew mates. Presumably Drury's death was part of the holodeck exercise, but not James getting hurt. What was going on?

OFF: Tag all

[Orantom Trea]

[Holodeck 1, Victorian England, Dorchester House, Green Drawing Room]

Caelene smiled and nodded at James. He was right, it was quite the place. Part of her - the part influenced by Milara - was excited to be experiencing a different era. Everything seemed to be exactly right, which wasn't surprising. The computer was designed to emulate every aspect correctly to ensure that the experience was authentic.

As she watched, the last few crewmembers trickled into the drawing room - including T'Ra and Evan. The two found seats at one of the other tables nearby. With Evan joining them, it seemed that those in the medical profession made up the majority of those in the room. At least if someone needed a doctor there were plenty of options.

Caelene took a sip of her tea and eyed the food on her plate, debating where to start. The sandwiches seemed to be the proper way to go, but she had to admit to being more drawn to the scone.

A round of rather loud whispering caught her attention and the Trill looked over to her right, at Doctor Drury's (NPC) table. He seemed to be arguing with two of the staff members. After a brief conversation, both of them made a quick exit. One returned minutes later with a silver tray containing a teapot, tea cup, and a small plate with food on it.

Doing her best not to stare, Caelene turned her attention to her scone, splitting it in half with her knife and then spreading on a layer of clotted cream. She dolloped on some raspberry jam and carefully distributed it over the cream as she kept an eye on their host's table.

Doctor William Adams (NPC) followed her gaze and said, "Don't worry, he can get like that when something goes wrong. Most likely the staff somehow mixed up which tea was at his table and brought desserts that Miss Wright (NPC) wasn't fond of. It seems they've remedied the situation."

Actually, Caelene would have thought the staff would at least get the food and beverages for their boss correct, but perhaps some of them were new. She nodded and replied, "Hopefully they don't make the same mistakes at dinner as well..."

As the Trill was about to take a bite of her scone, she heard loud groans coming from Doctor Drury's table. This time she really couldn't help but look over.

Edward Drury was groaning loudly, clutching his stomach. Confusion and pain were written all over his face as he fell out of his chair and onto the floor. "Wha... What's happ.... It hurts!"

After what felt like an eternity, but was actually only a few moments, both Doctor Adams and Doctor Andrew Jones (NPC) got up and hurried over to their colleague. Andrew took Edward's pulse as William checked his eyes.

"Doctor! Doctor Drury, can you hear me," William asked urgently. His eyes moved to Andrew before glancing back at Caelene and James.

Nearly everyone had gotten out of the seats by now, including Caelene and her other table mates. For the most part, the guests kept a respectful distance, other than the Shran medical staff who were there and undoubtedly hoped to offer some form of assistance. James edged closer as well, probably a natural instinct due to his time in command.

Spotting Margaret still sitting at the table, Caelene moved over to her. "I'm sure he'll be all right. We do have an awful lot of doctors here; don't worry," the Trill said, trying to help keep the doctor's fiancée calm.

Suddenly the room was bathed in darkness amid Edward's cries of pain. Apparently the house's electricity had gone out and nobody had lit the fireplace yet. Startled shouts and gasps sounded across the room, and then a louder gasp of pain came from a voice that sounded like James...

Caelene gripped the back of Margaret's chair as Edward's loud groans finally ceased.

William's voice from the darkness said quietly, "He's dead..."

Candle and lamp light flickered from the hallway as several staff members rushed in, then stopped suddenly. A maid in a black dress hurried forward, bringing her lamp to illuminate what was happening. Edward and the other doctors were where they were before, except that their host now lay still, no longer breathing.

"Give me the lamp, Miss Lowry (NPC)," Andrew said quietly. As he was about to take it, he noticed a look of surprise on Emma's face. The doctor turned and looked over her shoulder, startled to see another guest with blood on his shirt. Frowning, he took the lamp and moved to help.

Before Caelene could say or do anything, Margaret flung herself down onto Edward's body and started sobbing, "No! Edward! Come back to me! You can't be dead... Edward!"

Caelene's eyes moved from Doctor Drury and his fiancée to James, who was now laying on the floor. What had happened? There wasn't a drop of blood on Drury. It didn't seem like he'd been stabbed, but James... And James shouldn't have been hurt - the holodeck's safety protocols were in place and should have prevented any kind of actual injury.

Knowing that there was nothing she could do for her commanding officer, the Trill stepped off to the side and tried to get the attention of some of her crew mates. Presumably Drury's death was part of the holodeck exercise, but not James getting hurt. What was going on?

OFF: Tag all

[Medbay]

Ah, crap. There was some kind of holodeck bonding thing going on right around now, wasn't there? When the computer had tried to remind him, Oran had just silenced the notification, sat at a communal medical desk doing paperwork. Someone had to do it, after all. There was that one lieutenant who needed a visor and wouldn't take it, but whose sight hadn't quite deteriorated far enough to force her to get one or face medical intervention. The fine line cut between the freedom of life in the Federation and the deadly nature of life in Starfleet irritated Oran at times.

But now, he had to get into some strange old-earth clothing and pretend to be an old-earth human for the entertainment of people whose culture he didn't share and wasn't interested in. Whatever; he might learn something about the psychology of humans along the way. No other race seemed to be so obsessed with their own past - there definitely weren't any middle-ages Betazoid holodeck sims onboard, anyway. Maybe humans really, earnestly believed that their history and heritage was the be-all end-all of entertainment.

Nonetheless. He walked briskly from the medbay, and shortly after left his quarters in an archaic human suit. The exercise's provided uniforms seemed dumb to him, but he'd face a reprimand for not being a team player if he didn't pretend to be human. He already got some sense of the turmoil the group was in as he came to the holodeck door, picking up psychic signatures of confusion and dismay.

Entering the doors, the room around him materialized, containing Caelene and a bunch of random bots, one of which was dead, one of which was crying, none of which Oran felt any particular empathy for. They didn't give out psychic signatures, they didn't feel anything, so why would Oran care about them? He was much more concerned for the officer who laid unconscious in a ridiculous trenchcoat-hat getup. Bloody humans.

Kneeling beside him, Oran gave Caelene a brief nod. "I assume murder was part of the team-building exercise," he remarked by way of greeting. "Humans seem to think an awful lot of their past as a medium of entertainment, hm?" He checked Hawke's pulse. Stable. He was alive, but unconscious, which raised some pretty pertinent questions about what exactly had gone wrong. "I'm assuming there was a safety failure in the holodeck. Happens more often than Starfleet would like to admit to us, right? Can we leave, or have I just ruined our chances of getting out of here alive like a dumbass?" He sighed, and started pulling off the ridiculous overlong pretentious coat Hawke was wearing. "Do you know what happened, Ms. Tam? Ensign Jacob, I know you're in here, can I get a hand?" he spoke into the darkness, before looking up for a source of light. It was so hard to work in this subpar environment. He really should've prepared, but here he was within five minutes, out of his depth. Again.

"I'll take that lantern, please, my friend is hurt." He snatched it from whatever automaton was holding it before, and held it down to Hawke's stomach. Gut wound. Ugly. Gritting his teeth a little, Oran started ripping the trenchcoat into shreds. It may have been pretentious, but it'd make nice bandages to get his commanding officer at least stable until Oran could find a more permanent solution. "What was the point of this exercise, anyway? Brainstorming a more interactive way to play Cluedo?"

[T'Ra Jones]

[Holodeck 1, Victorian England, Dorchester House, Green Drawing Room]

Spotting Margaret still sitting at the table, Caelene moved over to her. "I'm sure he'll be all right. We do have an awful lot of doctors here; don't worry," the Trill said, trying to help keep the doctor's fiancée calm.

Suddenly the room was bathed in darkness amid Edward's cries of pain. Apparently the house's electricity had gone out and nobody had lit the fireplace yet. Startled shouts and gasps sounded across the room, and then a louder gasp of pain came from a voice that sounded like James...

Caelene gripped the back of Margaret's chair as Edward's loud groans finally ceased.

William's voice from the darkness said quietly, "He's dead..."

Candle and lamp light flickered from the hallway as several staff members rushed in, then stopped suddenly. A maid in a black dress hurried forward, bringing her lamp to illuminate what was happening. Edward and the other doctors were where they were before, except that their host now lay still, no longer breathing.

"Give me the lamp, Miss Lowry (NPC)," Andrew said quietly. As he was about to take it, he noticed a look of surprise on Emma's face. The doctor turned and looked over her shoulder, startled to see another guest with blood on his shirt. Frowning, he took the lamp and moved to help.

Before Caelene could say or do anything, Margaret flung herself down onto Edward's body and started sobbing, "No! Edward! Come back to me! You can't be dead... Edward!"

Caelene's eyes moved from Doctor Drury and his fiancée to James, who was now laying on the floor. What had happened? There wasn't a drop of blood on Drury. It didn't seem like he'd been stabbed, but James... And James shouldn't have been hurt - the holodeck's safety protocols were in place and should have prevented any kind of actual injury.

Knowing that there was nothing she could do for her commanding officer, the Trill stepped off to the side and tried to get the attention of some of her crew mates. Presumably Drury's death was part of the holodeck exercise, but not James getting hurt. What was going on?

OFF: Tag all

[Dorchester House]

Her hand still in his, Evan and T'Ra were led into the expansive manor, taking a seat where indicated by the butler at one of the tables. T'Ra poured some tea for herself and her husband, taking a moment to watch the steam rise hypnotically from the cup. Evan, on the other hand, reached straight for a scone, biting off a corner before exclaiming, "Delicious. You should try one, Schatz."

T'Ra began to reach for the scone he was nibbling on, hoping to steal it from his hand, when a sudden commotion through the whole room into a tizzy. The good doctor Drury was writhing in pain, clasping a hand to his breath as he struggled to breathe. To top it all off, the room went dark. The lights were back on within a matter of seconds, but those seconds were evidently long enough to bring the doctor to the ground. Dead. "I do love a good murder mystery," Evan declared, but something caused him to pause. T'Ra followed his gaze to find Hawke down for the count as well.

Ensign Trea quickly moved to the captain's side, so Evan inched toward Doctor Drury. "No sign of blood or any outward trauma," he noted. "Which suggests..."

"Poison," T'Ra finished.

"Which means nobody can eat or drink anything until we've tested everything." His stomach grumbled, causing Evan to curse in German under his breath.

[William Waring]

[Medbay]

Ah, crap. There was some kind of holodeck bonding thing going on right around now, wasn't there? When the computer had tried to remind him, Oran had just silenced the notification, sat at a communal medical desk doing paperwork. Someone had to do it, after all. There was that one lieutenant who needed a visor and wouldn't take it, but whose sight hadn't quite deteriorated far enough to force her to get one or face medical intervention. The fine line cut between the freedom of life in the Federation and the deadly nature of life in Starfleet irritated Oran at times.

But now, he had to get into some strange old-earth clothing and pretend to be an old-earth human for the entertainment of people whose culture he didn't share and wasn't interested in. Whatever; he might learn something about the psychology of humans along the way. No other race seemed to be so obsessed with their own past - there definitely weren't any middle-ages Betazoid holodeck sims onboard, anyway. Maybe humans really, earnestly believed that their history and heritage was the be-all end-all of entertainment.

Nonetheless. He walked briskly from the medbay, and shortly after left his quarters in an archaic human suit. The exercise's provided uniforms seemed dumb to him, but he'd face a reprimand for not being a team player if he didn't pretend to be human. He already got some sense of the turmoil the group was in as he came to the holodeck door, picking up psychic signatures of confusion and dismay.

Entering the doors, the room around him materialized, containing Caelene and a bunch of random bots, one of which was dead, one of which was crying, none of which Oran felt any particular empathy for. They didn't give out psychic signatures, they didn't feel anything, so why would Oran care about them? He was much more concerned for the officer who laid unconscious in a ridiculous trenchcoat-hat getup. Bloody humans.

Kneeling beside him, Oran gave Caelene a brief nod. "I assume murder was part of the team-building exercise," he remarked by way of greeting. "Humans seem to think an awful lot of their past as a medium of entertainment, hm?" He checked Hawke's pulse. Stable. He was alive, but unconscious, which raised some pretty pertinent questions about what exactly had gone wrong. "I'm assuming there was a safety failure in the holodeck. Happens more often than Starfleet would like to admit to us, right? Can we leave, or have I just ruined our chances of getting out of here alive like a dumbass?" He sighed, and started pulling off the ridiculous overlong pretentious coat Hawke was wearing. "Do you know what happened, Ms. Tam? Ensign Jacob, I know you're in here, can I get a hand?" he spoke into the darkness, before looking up for a source of light. It was so hard to work in this subpar environment. He really should've prepared, but here he was within five minutes, out of his depth. Again.

"I'll take that lantern, please, my friend is hurt." He snatched it from whatever automaton was holding it before, and held it down to Hawke's stomach. Gut wound. Ugly. Gritting his teeth a little, Oran started ripping the trenchcoat into shreds. It may have been pretentious, but it'd make nice bandages to get his commanding officer at least stable until Oran could find a more permanent solution. "What was the point of this exercise, anyway? Brainstorming a more interactive way to play Cluedo?"

[Drawing Room]

Will had jumped when the lights had gone off and was already looking around for the person who had seemly stabbed James. He moved carefully until he spotted Tam's form outlined by the lantern light. "Lieutenant" he said quietly "I don't think this was supposed to happen, James being stabbed that is. We need to stop this program." Will took a step back and called for the arch, to no avail "Something's interfering with Holodeck Operations. Ideas?" He asked Tam as he kept a watchful eye on the holograms.

[James A. Hawke]

[Green Drawing Room]

James remained sitting in the corner of the room as he observed the interaction of the crew.  He was slightly surprised that most of them were not trying to piece the clues of the evening everything from the food and who was serving them could lead to potential clues.

He looked in the distance and observed Doctor Drury's (NPC) arguing with the maids.  It was an interesting observation for him to notice that they were arguing in front of the public.  People in this social stratosphere would not like their dirty laundry to be out in public.

Hawke heard the possible explanation from another NPC character, he appeared to be a doctor.  He was slightly eavesdropping into another conversation.  However, something about the situation seemed to be suspicious.  James still wondered what was the point the exercise.

Hawke kept his eyes on the Doctor and noticed that he was in pain.  All of the sudden he could hear the same individual arguing over the maids saying  "Wha... What's happ.... It hurts!"

The individual then fell down.  Leaving the medical team to do their job, James then proceeded to inspect the crime scene.  He leaned towards the doctor and began observing them.  He wanted to see what was in his mouth.

James closed his eyes as he tried to remember...  he was clutching his stomach.  Something interesting, which means odds are that it was some sort of poison.  The question would then come who were the people that had the access to the poison?   Also is it a fast or slow moving poison?  His observations of what occurred in the event might be useful, maybe part of the exercise is for the crew to learn that he needs to make multiple observations at once.

James looked at his mouth and then began thinking.  "We probably need to round up....."

All of the sudden the room turned black and he felt a knife stabbing him.  He felt a sharp pain and he felt blood coming out him.  James looked but it was too dark to tell what was happening.  Hawke figures that the person who did the crime noticed how he was observing the details.

James figured that he acted to rash in the holodeck the safety in play he did not take the time to make more precautions.
As he laid he tried to say a few words, but then darkness came as he was asleep.