January 2018 POTM Award - Declan Vincent

Kirok · January 30, 2018, 07:56:29 PM

Fleeters,

This has been an exciting month. And a busy one at that.

Next month the Challenger will be moving to the Alpha Task Force Group and the Shran to the Bravo Task Force Group. Just wanted you all to know before we made the swap.

But the real reason for this thread is the post of the month award. This month it is going to a new player who has a flair for writting. His name is Declan Vincent and here is his award winning post:

Quote from: Declan Vincent on January 13, 2018, 01:34:51 AM
[Main Engineering]

The Captain's comm broke the unusual silence. The normal hum of a working engine had long expired as did the fight; losers laid out on the floor and winners exhausted. One old timer - a lifer - was reading War and Peace at a vacant console, the red warning lights the only illumination.

Johannsen had stopped quoting Shakespeare when he thought he was Hamlet's ghost father and could easily run through the wall. The wall taught him physics.

Declan just stared at Johannsen crumpled up on the deck, a goose egg like a secret gift awaiting him when he regained consciousness.

"It's the Captain." Said one of the engineers beside Declan, pointing at the comm panel. "If we are really quiet, she'll think we aren't home."

The lights, which had been flickering, went out completely. The emergency lighting eventually came on adding more system warning lights to the onslaught already visible.

"If you look closely at them" yet another engineer slurred, his finger waving toward the warning lights. "They kind of look like the constellation Orion."

"Are you daft!" Said the first engineer. "It is easily Constellation Draco cause it goes from there....all the way over there."

Declan sighed and pulled himself from his seated position. His finger went toward the comm panel on the console. "It's the new captain so we have to put on a good impression..." He was serious for a second before he and many of the conscious burst out laughing.

$=/\=$ Captain, this is Crewm- $=/\=$ Declan paused and a big smirk crossed his lips. $=/\=$ Commander Vincent here in Engineering. You just missed Johannsen, he knows his Shakespeare I tell you. $=/\=$ He sat back in his seat.

An engineer shouted. "Shakespeare is better in it's original Klingon!"

" Do you mind, I'm on the comm here." Declan snapped. There was silence followed by laughter from the others. $=/\=$ Everything is peachy here, Captain though you should tell the Science Department that we found Constellation Draco.
So don't be a stranger and I hope you have a lovely day up there on the Bridge . $=/\=$

Declan turned off the comm and the second engineer slapped him on the shoulder. "That was beautiful. I think you really impressed her."

But inaddition to this great post, I wanted to make an honorable mention to another post we received this month. The authur is T'Prina who serves on the Columbus. Pleae give her kudos on a her post this month as seen here:

Quote from: T'Prina on January 08, 2018, 12:57:05 PM
[Neural Core]

If there was one thing to be counted on, it was the unpredictability of the childlike A.I. The slight Vulcan bent down to graciously accept the gift, her half smile only visible to ANaLYN.

"Thank you little one. Although this is a somewhat inaccurate depiction, can you tell me the class, subclass and order of this common octopus - octopus vulgaris?"

The little mermaid queen squinted her eyes and put a hand on her hip like she were deep in thought, but then broke out into a bright grin. "I member! It's Sef-lo pod-a, Col-eyo ed-ya, Ocka-poda! Mama Pwina likes them because they are smart like me." ANaLYN beamed in satisfaction. T'Prina ruffled her hair in a rare show of affection.

"I am glad you recalled our discussion of my research, little one." She pointedly ignored the signs of O'Connell's raging bad mood, and accepted the clam as well.

T'Prina raised an eyebrow at the relief Adeyemi exuded as he made his escape. If she recalled correctly, humans had a phase for this, 'getting thrown under the bus.' She straightened up, and squared her shoulders, prepared for the undoubtedly vicious verbal attack that O'Connell was ready to unleash.

"YOU'VE PERVERTED MY LIFE'S WORK INTO SOME SORT OF DRESS UP DOLL OR PET! Years of careful programming and calculation for this simpering child who spouts mush-mouthed nonsense like a baby. I'm holding you personally responsible!" O'Connell sputtered angrily as she advanced on the petite Vulcan. She used her height advantage to peer down with superiority, finger outstretched and pointed directly in the science officer's face. ANaLYN made a motion as if to kick at O'Connell's shins, but was hindered by the tight skirt of her mermaid tail, and landed on her bottom instead. T'Prina held her ground and didn't flinch before responding in kind.

"Forgive me, Commander, but I find your analysis extremely shallow and short sighted. If you pick any department at random and run the statistics, you'll see efficiency has more than doubled since the Artificial Neural and Logistics Yeoman Node was implemented." She clasped her hands in front of her, keeping steady eye contact with O'Connell, like a silent struggle for dominance. The tall commander broke away first.

"This isn't about efficiency. You've taken my creation and twisted it into some sort of plaything. You've broken my programming and I will not stand for this." She settled into a menacing grimace, her face flushed. The Vulcan was unaffected, but ANaLYN, still seated on the floor, hugged her leg for comfort.

"Just because ANaLYN does not fit into your preconceived idea of how she should behave, does not make her broken. When I interfaced with her, to complete what you could not handle, I saw untamed wonder and curiosity. She wants to learn and grow, she has become more than what you intended. To push your reset button, you would strip all of that away. It is akin to a sort of murder, and I will not allow that to happen." T'Prina held her hands together tightly, a slight whitening around the knuckles showing. O'Connell pounced then, sensing an opportunity.

"You overstep yourself, Lieutenant. I outrank you and this is MY project. And now by your own words, you admit to tampering with my intellectual property, and I can have you demoted, if not court-martialed."

"I stabilized ANaLYN when you proved incompetent and nearly destroyed the Starbase trying to hide it. I will make sure Inspector General Atal and Starfleet Command learn everything I found in the databanks you tried to erase. I also remember how... fragile you appeared when you were called to witness at the inquiry. A simple probe by Starfleet's JAG corps into your medical and mental health history would supplement everything I have, regarding your competency. Threats do not suit a Starfleet officer, Commander, thus I do not make them." That said, T'Prina reached down and lightly ruffled ANaLYN's hair.