Aaryanna

[COLOR=DarkRed][quote name='Rachmaninoff']I'm looking forward to what William is up to that will upset Stevens. And it goes without saying that I hope it upsets Jared too. :p[/quote]Me too! I'm curious as to just what William is going to do! Though right now I'm more interested in seeing what Jared does to poor Darren. :animeblus Hehe, maybe I'll get lucky and Crystia will have posted by the time I get home from school. :catgirl:[/COLOR] [spoiler] And yes that's a hint! =P[/spoiler]

[COLOR=DarkRed]It had been awhile since Kim had been taken away and Stevens had left. Normally she would leave as well, but she was reviewing the readings of Kim?s vitals now that it had been over a week since Stevens had started on her. She couldn?t be positive without taking the time to do a more complete scan, but it looked like the combination of truth drugs along with the other stuff mixed in was starting to have a very negative effect. Crystal issued the order for Kim to be moved to the Conqueror?s sickbay and then went back to reading some of the final reports in regards to the other prisoners. She had been compiling the data from the modified humans to look for a pattern in the genetic modification. And when she ran the results it surprised her. Crystal ran it again. There was no mistake; someone besides Nathan was working for the resistance on the Crimson since she had never sent that information to the High Council. Crystal closed the reports and left for the sickbay of the Conqueror. She needed to check something to be sure before she contacted Stevens, and she needed to check Kim as well. It didn?t take her long to get there and Kim was already there, though she was still unconscious. When the doctor asked if they could be of assistance she smiled and gave them the report she had been working on and asked them to review the genetics of what had been done to the humans and to compare it to another report and to estimate the probability of them matching. He was clearly confused but took the information and retired to his office to do as she asked. Crystal turned back to Kim who was already on the examination table. With the help of the doctor?s assistant she began the scans, it didn?t take long to confirm her suspicion that the disruptor's and the drugs was affecting Kim?s health. Nor did it take long for her to repair the nerve damage that the interrogation had caused. Then she had Kim moved to a recovery room that could be locked down and then she went to check on the doctor who was reviewing the reports. ?[B]Commander,[/B]? he said with a nod as she entered his office. ?[B]I?m not quite finished but unless you have further information for me, it looks like the data of the genetics match. I?d say there is a 98% chance that the first report is an indication that part of the genetic modification pattern in the second report was indeed used to make the changes to the humans.[/B]? Crystal nodded. ?[B]That was my assessment as well, do you need to study it further to be certain?[/B]? ?[B]I have only a few pages left to read Commander.[/B]? He replied. ?[B]Then you do not need to as that is merely a summary of the process. What I need you to do next is to see that Kim receives the proper rest she needs, as she will be here for two days. The interrogation has resulted in nerve damage that I have repaired and she will need time for that to set. I have requested some guards to oversee the process since Kim is combat trained and none of you are, once they have arrived I want you to follow these instructions as to her care.[/B]? Crystal handed the doctor a chip with what she wanted done. ?[B]I understand Commander, as soon as they arrive I will see to this immediately.[/B]? Crystal checked with her handheld to see where Stevens was before leaving sickbay to go and talk with him. It didn?t take long for her to get to the bridge and for Stevens to escort her to the observation room just off the bridge. His expression one of puzzlement as to why she would have come directly to see him. As soon as the doors closed behind them he spoke. ?[B]What can I do for you Crystal?[/B]? ?[B]It?s simple Stevens. First of all, I?ve moved Kim to sickbay and repaired some nerve damage caused by the disruptor's and the drugs. She will need to rest for two days before you can continue.[/B]? Crystal looked at him sternly as if daring him to object, something that Stevens did not. ?[B]Once she recovers I have a new mixture of drugs to use for the next round, she?s proven to be highly resistant to the last truth serum so I wish to switch to another one along with different modifications that will again keep her body from producing chemicals to dull the pain.[/B]? ?[B]Fair enough,[/B]? Stevens replied, ?[B]I actually have a number of reports to take care of, though I already gave most of them to Jared to take care of.[/B]? ?[B]I have another one for you to take care of Stevens. I?ve been compiling the data on the captured humans who were modified. There is a 98% chance that the process for altering their genetics came directly from the work I did with both Jason and Celestia when they were on board the Crimson. Something that would mean there is a traitor on board the Crimson since Nathan was killed before I started their modification.[/B]? Stevens frowned a bit before responding, ?[B]Why do you think they had to have used your data?[/B]? Crystal pulled up her report and showed it to Stevens, ?[B]It has to do with the markers I used, the chances of them matching every single one in the exact same order I did is pretty unlikely when you consider that there are close to a million markers to be made that do not have to be in the same order. For someone to use the same sequence would indicate that they simply used my notes to make the modification since there is billions of possible combinations, so the chance that they would mark all of them in the same order I did is very slim. Also, other than the notes on my own handheld, the resistance erased the data banks of the Crimson when they rescued Jason, Celestia and Daniel, I never got a chance to send the data to the High Council and since my handheld is always with me, the only time that information could have been stolen would have been between the time I started the modification and before the data banks of the Crimson were erased. Especially since I never got around to sending the information since the Council at the time indicated that they were not going to modify other humans.[/B]? ?[B]I see, I?ll look into it then,[/B]? Stevens replied. ?[B]Anything else?[/B]? Crystal shook her head negatively. ?[B]No, I?ll let you know when Kim is ready for you to continue.[/B]? She nodded at Stevens before leaving to head back to the Tempest. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed]Just a quick note SunfallE, I've been horribly busy with homework and with my closing argument for the Survivor taking over three hours to put together. I have started on a post but I'm a bit brain dead from all of the stuff I've been up to. Just wanted to let you know since I definitely have not lost interest. ^_^ But I probably won't have anything till tomorrow or Saturday because I still have lots of homework that's due tomorrow! :bawl:[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed]All right! I put up my closing statement. That took me close to three hours to do. It was fun, but it was more like doing homework! LOL! Now we just have to sit back and see how the competition does. I had thought about waiting to see what they were going to say but then I realized I already have a firm belief in supporting the right to have an abortion so I went ahead and posted. :catgirl: [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed]I?d like to close by going over some of the facts and myths surrounding abortion, because part of the problem of being against abortion is ignorance stemming from arguments that are out of date and incorrect. A big myth is that abortion is related to a higher risk of getting breast cancer. Something that pro-life still claims is true, when in March of 2003 the National Cancer Institute stated that ?newer studies consistently showed no association between induced and spontaneous abortions and breast cancer risk.? [URL=http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/abortion-miscarriage][COLOR=DarkRed][U][B]Breast Cancer Myth[/B][/U][/COLOR][/URL] Another myth is the belief that women suffer from post-abortion syndrome something that was being compared to post traumatic stress disorder and yet when the American Psychological Association reviewed the data it was found that the time of greatest distress is likely to be before the abortion and that negative issues after an abortion are rare. [URL=http://www.prochoice.org/about_abortion/myths/post_abortion_syndrome.html][COLOR=DarkRed][U][B]American Psychological Association[/B][/U][/COLOR][/URL] A really big one is that women have sex without any regards to the consequences and that since they know they can abort the baby they don?t care. That they use abortion as a method of birth control. The truth is that half of all women who get an abortion say that some form of contraception was used during the month they became pregnant. Some of them found out that they had not used the method correctly some it was because they had missed some of the pill for that month and then there were some that even with the contraceptive it still did not prevent a pregnancy. Or how about the one that women only have abortions for selfish or frivolous reasons? When about 13,000 women each year have abortions because they became pregnant due to being raped or to incest. And for most the decision to have an abortion is not easy. There are often several factors involved such as lack of money or they are not ready to start a family or expand the family they already have as it?s estimated that 60% of abortions are women who have already had one or more children. Unmarried does not mean someone is not living with someone in a state of common marriage with kids. [URL=http://www.prochoice.org/about_abortion/facts/women_who.html][COLOR=DarkRed][U][B]The Facts[/B][/U][/COLOR][/URL] Also there are health issues to keep in mind when considering taking away a woman?s right to have an abortion legally. It?s easy for us to forget (many of us hadn't even been born yet) since the days when Illegal abortion was a problem, between the 1880?s and 1973, it was not unusual for women to show up into emergency rooms with serious complications caused by a attempted abortions. And even today it?s estimated that in other countries where abortion is illegal around 68,000 women die each year from complications due to having an illegal abortion incorrectly performed. And in countries such as the U.S. the medical procedures are far safer since they have become legal. Abortions performed in a safe environment have less than a 0.5% rate of serious complications occurring. This information was published in 2006 and in the past five years only six women have died from toxic shock, a reaction that has been found to occur when the medical abortion was done with mifepristone and misoprostol. [URL=http://www.prochoice.org/about_abortion/facts/safety_of_abortion.html][COLOR=DarkRed][U][B]Health Concerns[/B][/U][/COLOR][/URL] Take the time to read through the data and you will find that the stance that abortion is dangerous is a myth as well. If done correctly it is no more dangerous than a lot of other medical procedures performed. The real danger would be to take legal abortion away and put women back into the position of risking everything like they did before it was made legal. Another myth is that removing a woman?s ability to get an abortion will prevent more babies from being killed. But the sad truth is far from that. A good example would be teen pregnancies. In American about one million teenagers become pregnant every year. However teens in other developed countries receive a lot more education and have better access to contraception. As a result, in the Netherlands where teenagers are considered to be about the same as the U.S. as far as sexuality goes has a teen pregnancy rate that is only 1/9th of what happens in the U.S. So when it comes down to it, the real issue isn?t to remove abortion or to make it illegal, but to improve the choices women have so that abortion becomes the very last option. Including better education instead of placing the blame on them for getting pregnant, especially teenagers who live in states that don't do much in the way of sex education. If I were to include all the data showing just how hard it is for women to even get the support they need when considering an abortion or having sex using methods to prevent pregnancy, I would be writing here for days, so instead I challenge you to take a look at the information for your self as most of the information I have presented came from this very site: [URL=http://www.prochoice.org/about_abortion/facts/index.html][COLOR=DarkRed][U][B]National Abortion Federation[/B][/U][/COLOR][/URL] This site has provided references to everything they have stated and is not just an emotional reasoning as why abortion shouldn?t be allowed or should be allowed. Just as deciding to have an abortion shouldn?t be a quick choice, neither should the attempt to make that choice for them by making abortion illegal. The truth is I wish abortion wasn?t necessary, that every child was wanted, that every woman who became pregnant could afford to have a child or wasn?t having one due to being raped. But realistically I know that?s not possible and the very last thing I want to do is to make it even harder by not giving the woman every option available. Outlawing abortion isn't the issue, the real issue is how society has failed these women in so many ways, from lack of education, to a lack of funding to help them prevent pregnancy and even more cruel, trying to take away their choice to decide to keep or abort the child when the circumstance leading to that situation is far more than a simple sexual encounter. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed][quote name='SunfallE][COLOR=RoyalBlue']Well I must say I didn't expect people to instantly want to kill off Stevens. :therock: [/COLOR][/quote]Hey! Don't include me in that statement! Psychos make things interesting! Mwahahahahaha! :catgirl: Besides based on these two statements:[QUOTE=indifference][SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed] Or rather that she found it distasteful to be matched up with one who enjoyed meddling in other?s love lives, both male and female alike. Stevens was anything but discreet. [/COLOR][/SIZE][/QUOTE][quote name='Aaryanna_Mom] Unless you counted how he was known for tumbling into bed with anything that had two legs and was attractive. It was rumored that he got what he wanted by sleeping around more than from any real talent. [/QUOTE]Just think of the fun Stevens could have harassing Jared! :animeblus I'm already getting all sorts of ideas. XD So all I have to say to this part here:[QUOTE=SunfallE][COLOR=RoyalBlue']I don't plan on adding very many characters like Stevens, but having a character that is partially controlled by more than one person is something I thought would be fun and from how you wrote your latest post I got the impression that you enjoyed pulling the strings Crystia. :p [/COLOR][/quote]I wanna pull the strings, I wanna! I wanna! :p [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed]Crystal sighed inwardly while Stevens and Kim snipped at each other. All it did was remind her of how much she hated doing interrogations. She was not interested in toying with someone?s mind, only in obtaining the information needed. As a result, she actually made a very poor interrogator since she was too blunt and forward. Crystal would rely on drugs where both Stevens and Jared were good at combining physical pain with humiliation along with the drugs to find out far more than she ever did. The only thing she was good at was making sure Kim survived to give Stevens the information he wanted. It was a common mistake to be impatient and press a prisoner to fast and too far. It was too easy to send someone into shock if you didn?t know what you were doing. And at least both Jared and Stevens had the sense to realize that overriding her in deciding the doses and when to quit for the day would be foolhardy. Not that it really mattered. Once they were done the High Council would most likely order them to execute Kim anyway. Then once the initial banter was done, Crystal gave Kim the first dose. Then because simply sitting and watching was not something she enjoyed, she pulled up the reports in regards to the prisoners the Elite Specialist had caught when they destroyed a number of safe houses in Australia. She did what she always did, placed the live feed of Kim?s vitals along the top of the screen and then pulled up the reports just underneath it. It would give her warning signals if Kim required any form of medical attention. Crystal went into a mode she often did during surgery or other work that required concentration and incidentally she tuned out the conversation between Kim and Stevens. She focused on deciding what to do with the prisoners as far as interrogations went since she had informed Stevens that modified humans would require different tactics. Crystal sent out orders for each doctor on the ship they were on to scan both humans and Versilan?s alike for their genetic profiles and then send her the information. Crystal started writing up the combination of drugs that would work best for each one based on those profiles as the reports began to filter back to her. A couple of times she stopped when Kim?s vitals spiked due to the drugs and the pain Stevens was inflicting on her with the disruptor's, but her attention ended up not being needed since Stevens was following her advice and backing off to give Kim time to recover when it was needed. Then faster than she would have thought possible, the readings indicated that they were done. Kim had reached the limit of what Crystal would allow for the day. And to his credit, Stevens simply agreed to Crystal?s order instead of demanding she use something to wake her up. A moment later security came and unbound Kim?s unconscious body to take her back to her cell. ?[B]Did you learn anything useful?[/B]? Crystal asked Stevens. She smiled a bit when he gave her a startled look. ?[B]Weren?t you paying attention?[/B]? He asked. Crystal scoffed, ?[B]To her vital signs yes, to what you were saying, no. You know perfectly well I dislike using torture. It?s one thing to monitor the drugs and her tolerance levels, but yet another to expect me to actually pay attention when I have other work to be done.[/B]? Stevens just shook his head. ?[B]How can you tune out something like that?[/B]? ?[B]Simple, a doctor is well acquainted with tuning out the pain of their patients. You either learn to do so or you can?t be objective about treating them.[/B]? She looked at him through narrowed eyes as if teaching a small child a lesson they should have already learned. ?[B]It?s the same when dealing with the military. You learn to tune things out or else their stupidity is more than one can bear at times.[/B]? Stevens laughed with amusement. ?[B]Damn if you aren?t blunt! And seeing how the Commodore was such a fool I have to agree with you. Though if its something I can fix, I don?t tune it out. Even stupidity needs to be dealt with. So if you were tuning us out, just what were you doing?[/B]? Crystal adjusted the holographic display so Stevens could see what she had been doing. ?[B]I?m preparing the data for the prisoners who were caught to be interrogated. Though since most of them are human and the few Versilan?s we caught seem to have no discernible rank, I?m inclined to believe that the information obtained will be pretty useless. And unless you have no objections I intend to send the modified humans to sector fourteen as the data on them will be useful for the research being done.[/B]? ?[B]Consider it done. Once they?ve been briefed I?ll have them sent to sector fourteen. Anything else?[/B]? ?[B]I?ll check later tonight, but if Kim recovers as well as I think she will, then we can begin again tomorrow.[/B]? Stevens stood up and prepared to leave. ?J[B]ust let me know when she is ready again. As much as I would like to get the information as soon as possible, I have no intention of rushing things.[/B]? He smiled. ?[B]I can wait even though I didn't get anything useful from her today.[/B]? Crystal sighed once Stevens had left; she quickly finished up one of the reports on one of the captives before closing things down to head back for the Tempest. There really was no reason for her to remain on board the Conqueror now that they were done for the day. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed][QUOTE=Keyblade Wielder][COLOR=DarkSlateBlue][SIZE=1][FONT=Tahoma] When a woman is pregnant and has a living fetus growing inside of her womb, it is, rather, her choice to decide whether she wants to give birth to it or get it surgically or medically removed from her body. No matter what arguments the political government is saying, it is still the mother?s choice in her own matter, even if it is one of the biggest topics talked about most today.[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE]Actually, part of the problem with claiming this is just the mother?s choice is that so many other choices are socially considered unacceptable. In 1968, Pope Paul VI issued his landmark encyclical letter Humanae Vitae, which reemphasized the Church?s constant teaching that it is always intrinsically wrong to use contraception to prevent new human beings from coming into existence. If a woman follows this then her only choice to avoid becoming pregnant is to have no sex with her own husband. And yet I was raised to believe that between a married man and a woman, such a thing was supposed to be a special expression of the love they have for one another. By having such a restricting view on things it locks the mother into making other choices should she face the issue of not being able to afford another child. And then we turn around and make her seem heartless when she makes an even more difficult choice, to abort her unborn child. Another example of how a mother?s choice is influenced is how one woman sued her employer the Bartell Drug Co. for not providing coverage for contraceptives like the Pill. Something that was done since taking something like the pill can run around $360 a year. A stance that is not only discriminatory but economically short-sighted as well since Contraception is far cheaper than the cost of either a pregnancy or an abortion. And the battle to make such coverage is far from over, some companies have finally agreed to it and yet others still refuse to cover such a simple cost. This legal battle started within the past decade and is not finished. Even paying for prenatal care was something that insurance companies only agreed to pay for in just the last 30 years. It was not a cost that use to be covered. [QUOTE=Keyblade Wielder][COLOR=DarkSlateBlue][SIZE=1][FONT=Tahoma]First, what happens to the fetus if it gets aborted? There are many ways for this to happen: medically, surgically, etc. Basically, the most common way for removing the fetus in the first few weeks surgically is Electric Vacuum Aspiration, or EVA, which involves using an electric pump and inserting it into the mother. After starting it up, it continuously sucks out the unborn baby, body and all, until the womb is clean, then literally dumping the fetus into the trash and cleaning up the rest of the mess. So, without even having another thought, the growing baby has now been aborted, not having a say in anything or not even being able to see the outside world. Basically, if one has guilt- free sex or is just having fun, and having a baby just doesn?t quite suit them, all they have to do is go to their nearby hospital and ask to have their baby removed because they don?t have the time to deal with the choice that they made.[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE]There is no getting around the fact that destruction of any type of life is not pretty. Whether we are talking about a human child that has not been born yet or the practice of putting abandoned animals to sleep. Naturally it?s going to seem more inhumane that a developing baby was destroyed before it could become a human capable of living outside the mother?s womb. But that argument is flawed. Because we are assuming that the baby can indeed think and that even if they are not developed well enough to survive outside their mother's womb, we are in fact murders. [B]Not so[/B]. In spite of our medical knowledge this is not something that can be completely proven. And the assumption that an abortion comes from people simply having guilt-free sex or just having fun is to be blunt a generalization that paints such women as being uncaring and heartless. It ignores how society makes having more options available to prevent pregnancy in the first place difficult or shames women into thinking they are somehow heartless if they do not want to have a child. Taking away a woman's choice to not have a baby they are not prepared for is inhumane; especially when a woman did take steps to prevent the pregnancy and make responsible choices. And in the end we are placing all of the blame on the woman. Let's face it women [B]ARE [/B]considered more responsible then men when it comes to an abortion. Men do not have any legal responsibility if an abortion takes place. And yet a woman can't get pregnant without their help. And even more cruel is how often they are pressured into getting an abortion: [URL=http://www.abortionconcern.org/stories/stories.php][COLOR=DarkRed][U][B]Coercion[/B][/U][/COLOR][/URL] And then they are blamed by society for making what they thought was the best choice, a choice they should have the right to make.[QUOTE=Keyblade Wielder][COLOR=DarkSlateBlue][SIZE=1][FONT=Tahoma] Lastly, not only does it affect the baby, it also deeply affects the health of the mother. After one has an abortion, many things can go wrong with their body which causes them to have problems in the future. Some effects abortion can give is breast cancer, if the abortion happens too early in the fetus? birth time; fetal pain, which actually means that the fetus can feel pain during the first trimester; and mental health, causing some to have gruesome images, high stress and anxiety levels, and intense feelings of guilt. Abortion doesn?t only remove and destroy the baby, it also involves the mother in many other ways. We [B]have[/B] come a long way into this era in order to establish and confirm to make our own choices, but we also take advantage of what we want. The fetus lives, grows inside of the womb, already potentially adapting to human life, but because that isn?t the choice that some want, we destroy it all by doing something society is okay with by killing one small life that doesn?t necessarily matter or doesn?t have a choice in the making.[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE]Any medical procedure can have a negative effect on one?s health. No medical procedure is 100% safe. The only difference is that another potential life is not involved. We have come a long way and instead of taking those choices that were fought so hard for, we need to not only protect a woman?s right to abort a child, but to give her even more rights so that she can make an informed choice when it comes to deciding whether or not to have a baby. A choice that includes preventive measures, putting them up for adoption or aborting them if that is what they decide is best. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkred][quote name='Retribution][size=1']All I'm saying is don't let the news fool you. Homicide is a very frequent occurrence. Just because it happens in a mall shouldn't affect your attitude towards such things. It shouldn't take a mall shooting to make you see the danger of guns. Hell, it happens several times a week over here.[/size][/quote]There's no danger of any of us in Utah thinking that such things don't happen. But it doesn't change the fact that they are shocking when they do occur. Especially after being told this by the news at the very beginning of 2007: [INDENT][SIZE=1]The Salt Lake Tribune said there were 48 homicides in Utah in 2006 compared to 59 in 2005, while Deseret Morning News said there were 46 last year and 54 in 2005. The Deseret Morning News does not count acts of self-defense or auto-related homicide.[/SIZE][/INDENT] Full article here: [URL=http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=768813]Homicides[/URL] It's a bit of a slap in the face to feel like things are improving only to have something so drastic happen. And it brings to home just how deadly guns really are and how easy it is for people to get their hands on one. The real shock is that someone would kill so many people that they had never met, not that guns are dangerous. ^_~[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed][U]All right here's my opening statement as to why I am for Abortion:[/U] Like any difficult decision that one faces, choosing to have an abortion is not an easy task. One that is made harder by a society that would try to make that decision for you, regardless of the surrounding circumstances ignoring the very real issues of pregnancy that resulted from incest or rape as well as unplanned pregnancies. The very phrase ?pro-choice? is often mistaken as a stance that favors abortion instead of pregnancy when in reality it?s all about respecting the rights of the individual to make the decision on whether or not they will use different methods to prevent pregnancy with abortion being one of those choices should a woman end up pregnant. In a more perfect world we would have full support for a woman faced with such a terrible decision, but the reality is we do not. And in by insisting on forcing a woman to give birth to a child that they are not ready for is cruel and inhumane. Stripping her of her most fundamental right, choosing whether or not she should give birth to the baby that is starting to develop in her. Government involvement in private medical and sexual decisions should not be an all or nothing type of deal. But a balanced one that gives options instead of locking a potential mother to be out of what ultimately is her choice. Whether to keep or abort the pregnancy she has. We?ve come a long way in establishing our right to make our own choices and by making abortion illegal we would be taking a terrible step backwards when the better choice would be to pour funding into making a more comprehensive program to help those faced with the decision make the one that will best suit their mental health and well-being. Even if that choice is to abort the baby.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed]Alright Crystia! It's up to you! ^_^ Since I understand that you are handling the rest of the meeting on the Conqueror. Let me know if you want me to change anything. And I see that you've added a new target to the game Mariskah. Perhaps I should add a character, one for the Empire. :p[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed]After making sure Kim was transferred safely to a holding cell on the Conqueror Crystal waited patiently in the observation room of the Conqueror. Unless Stevens intended to start the interrogation immediately she couldn?t think of a single reason for her to even be there. She stifled a sigh and waited just the same, the day was already over so it wasn?t like she had anything better to do, well besides get some rest that is. She didn?t have to wait long, moments later once the Commodore of the Creator arrived and then Sandra and Jared, Stevens entered and motioned all of them to take a seat at the small conference table that was just inside the door. Then moments later a security squad entered the room as well. Something that did not surprise Crystal as she knew what was going to happen to the Commodore for his foolish actions. Something that Stevens took care of immediately. ?[B]Thank you for coming everyone,[/B]? Stevens started. ?[B]But before we get started there is something we need to take care of.[/B]? He motioned to the security squad who immediately seized the Commodore ignoring his protests. ?[B]Now before you open your mouth Commodore and get yourself into even more trouble, I?ll explain my actions. You are probably wondering just what is going on. It?s simple, you are being stripped of your command and sent back to Sector One for the High Council to decide your fate.[/B]? He cut off the Commodore before he could even speak. ?[B]It?s really quite simple Commodore, surely you remember my orders from two days ago? No? Then let me refresh your memory.[/B]? Stevens turned on the display for the conference room and played part of his conversation with the Commodore the conversation spoke for itself?.[I]I will be arriving in two days. You are to do nothing with Kim until I arrive. I will oversee her interrogation myself.[/I] Stevens switched the display of one showing the squad who had picked Kim up beating her senseless. ?[B]You received that order before your men had even picked Kim up. No orders were issued to tell them that you had been ordered to do nothing to her and nothing was done to discipline your men for their actions. In other words Commodore you indirectly disobeyed a direct order from your superior officer, something that I will not tolerate.[/B]? Stevens paused and then continued. ?[B]Not only that by endangering a valuable prisoner before she could even be questioned you interfered with the work done by our Empire?s top agents, you nearly destroyed all the hard work done by the newest Elite Specialist. You should be grateful that all I am doing is sending you to Sector One.[/B]? Crystal just sat back further into her chair, suppressing a smile over what Stevens was doing. Normally she did not like politics but in this case she found she rather enjoyed it. She had complained numerous times to the High Council about behavior such as the Commodore?s but nothing was ever done, until now. She only hoped it was a trend that would continue under Stevens command and not just a one time fluke. ?[B]Now take that fool out of my sight and put him on the transport for Sector One.[/B]? Crystal watched as the Commodore was taken out and then turned back to Stevens, curious as to what he was going to do now that the Creator had lost its commanding officer. But even more curious was Sandra?s expression, as she looked rather upset. Crystal sighed, if only the rest of the meeting would be as entertaining. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed]Congratulations everyone! I just love this event, from seeing everything that is nominated to the moment when all is revealed. And like last year the presentation is just too beautiful for words. :catgirl: Thank you so much for both nominating me and choosing me as well. OB is by far one of the niftiest places on the Internet. [/COLOR] :catgirl:

[COLOR=DarkRed]Well I can't even drive and since I just know my Mom would point out that I can always find time to argue or rather debate something...I'm pretty sure I would have time this weekend. It's late right now and I do have to do homework before I call it a night, so once I get home from school tomorrow I'll present my opening argument to the main thread. If either one of you have ideas or pointers, just post them here or send me a pm. ^_^[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed]Crystal was getting ready for bed when the chime indicating she had a priority message sounded. Surprised she went to her workstation and pulled it up. She couldn?t think of a single reason as to why she would have been contacted. And when she pulled it up and saw that it came from the Conqueror she was even more confused as she hadn?t known that the person who was contacting her was even assigned to that flagship. ?[B]Commander Crystal,[/B]? They said. ?[B]I have a new assignment for you.[/B]? Crystal raised her eyebrow at that statement. ?[B]I see, and what would that be?[/B]? ?[B]It?s simple really, I wish for you to assist me with the interrogation of Kimberly Spencer when I arrive.[/B]? Crystal?s eyebrow rose even higher. ?[B]With all due respect, you already have a competent doctor on board the Conqueror to oversee the use of any drugs used. And I?m sure you are well aware that I am currently overseeing the set up of the medical facilities on Earth. Something that is far from being completed.[/B]? ?[B]I am well aware of that Crystal, and I have a full team on board who will be taking over your duties in that respect. I hardly need to tell you that out of all the doctors in the fleet your work in genetics along with the various drugs we use far outstrips the skills of the doctors available in our fleet at Earth.[/B]? Crystal sighed. ?[B]Very well, though I still do not agree with your decision.[/B]? The person laughed. ?[B]That is another reason why I want you to oversee it. I need someone who will not be afraid to tell me that we are going too far.[/B]? They took on a more serious look before continuing. ?[B]I do not intend to miss out on valuable information by accidentally killing Kim.[/B]? ?[B]I see.[/B]? Crystal said. ?[B]If you are serious about this I want you to authorize having her moved to my ship immediately. Because to be blunt, the Commodore is far from objective when it comes to the treatment of traitors. He is not so foolish as to disobey you directly, but he would do nothing if his men were to rough her up.[/B]? ?[B]Consider it done.[/B]? The transmission ended and Crystal turned her workstation off with a sigh. She really hated overseeing interrogations. And since when had that person been put into such a position of authority? She would have thought that such a drastic change would have been announced. Unless it was fairly recent, but if they were so close to Earth she doubted it. No this had to have been decided weeks if not months ago. She got up and left her quarters heading towards sickbay. The ship?s doctor Alex would need to be updated and she, if her suspicions about the Commodore were correct, would need to treat Kim when she arrived. Though considering how the resistance?s base was taken before it had been destroyed she probably had injuries from when she had been captured that had not been treated too. [CENTER]------------[/CENTER] [B]OOC:[/B] Let me know if I mixed anything up on that SunfallE. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed][QUOTE=Sandy][B]Announcement[/B]: [B]Darren[/B] has moved to the LOLs, and [B]Kathy/Aaryanna_Mom[/B] is your new captain now. Cheers![/QUOTE]o_O Well looks like you were right Mom when you told your previous team that you suspected that Sandy would switch team members on us. Hehe, I love how you spanked him. I didn't expect the Captain bit though and I really don't mind. :catgirl: Seeing that you are my boss in real life anyway. :p But all things aside, I say that in spite of the changes we kick butt just the same. It will feel weird since Darren was our team member though. Anyway I am definitely pro-choice so if you agree with my mom Alexa then I'm all for arguing my point in regards to abortion. ^_^ Oh and here's our new banner reflecting the changes. I used your regular name Mom since I figured having two Aaryanna's on the banner would look a bit weird. [IMG]http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/330/themercenaries05iq4.png[/IMG] I did the same for your avatar too, though since we share the same computer I didn't bother to host it. Anyway, the new banner is for your benefit too Sandy so you can edit things. :p [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed]Who cares about Jared! What about poor Kim? :animecry: And yet this part here: [quote name='SunfallE][COLOR=RoyalBlue'] In just a few more days the real fun would begin.[/COLOR][/quote]Has me thinking you're up to something SunfallE. :p I just know it! Wait a second...I'm suppose to be with the Empire! So I should be saying Mwahahahaha! We got Kim and the rest of you resistance scum are next! Hmmm... that sounded awful didn't it? Eep! [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed]I have no idea what Sandy is up too. So unless you object Alexa I have no problem with Darren volunteering if he wishes. I just hope it's not something that messes us up. >_

[COLOR=DarkRed]The whole thing is just so sad. >_< I know people have problems, but I just can?t imagine hurting or killing someone over it. No one I know was hurt, but at the time it was really frightening since there are people I do know that live up there. And not just Rachmaninoff and indifference. I have relatives who live in the Salt Lake area. Not as close as Rachmaninoff and indifference, but close enough since my cousins like to ride the Trax and go and visit the malls and Trolley Square is one of their favorite spots. It?s a fun place since it?s quite different from the standard mall. It?s a historical site as well and the second biggest tourist attraction in Salt Lake City. It?s loaded with lots of fun and unique shops so it?s always busy when it?s open. I?m really glad my family and friends are fine, but I feel so bad for the ones who did lose loved ones. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed][quote name='Boo][size=1']Where does your quote help at all to explain myself putting my foot in my mouth? Your quote just proves what my last post was about, as it's the part that people are so freely interpreting.[/size][/quote]My point was that people were interpreting what DaSilva meant differently, myself included and your response was along the same lines of misinterpreting things in that you assumed indifference was being bitchy when her response was based on what [I]she thought[/I] DaSaliva meant. You got on her case about being bitchy when you were also being bitchy toward her on what [I]you thought[/I] she was misinterpreting in regards to what [I]you thought[/I] DaSaliva meant. Which is why I asked for DaSilva to clarify what they meant as they are the only one here who really knows what happened, whether it was an observasion or they were being called heartless for actually saying to their friends face. "I could care less that your friend died." Which if they are currently mourning, I think is rather heartless and cruel to say.[quote name='Boo][size=1']If a friend of mine just told me their grandmother died, and I wouldn't care, I could just go to an other friend to discuss wether that's normal. A reaction of 'that's heartless' is a possibility.[/size][/quote]True and at that point your moving into person opinion as everyone is going to think differently on that. I personally don?t care a lot of someone I don?t know dies. But I do at least notice it more if the person who dies is at least known to my friend. I may not be sad, but I do care that it affects my friend. Whether or not I care about the unknown person is kind of irrelevant in my opinion since condolences are usually meant to help the person who is still alive.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed][QUOTE=Boo][size=1]Don't put words in his [strike]mouth[/strike] post. He never said that he said anything in the direction of "I don't care that your mother died". He only said that his friends thought he was heartless if he doesn't feel bad about the person that died. This could've been said to him during a regular conversation for all we know. I can understand if the guy would?ve first discussed this same subject with his friends, before asking people who he doesn't know. So don?t act all bitchy and stop attacking the lad over things he has never said. If DaSilva has the tiniest bit of subtlety in his brain, your whole post is useless and makes you look like a complete hypersensitive fool.[/size] [/QUOTE]Uh, Boo, before you put your foot into your mouth even further...[quote name='DaSilva']My friends see it as me acting heartless, but I see it as being realistic. What do you guys think?[/quote]That part means they have said something or else their friends wouldn't be telling them that they are heartless. :animesigh It's a pretty safe assumption to think that they did indeed say something along the lines of "I don't care your mother died." as that's exactly what I thought when I read their post. I did not get the impression that this was a general conversation but rather one of an actual recent event of them dealing with a friend who has lost someone recently. And if someone in a casual conversation were to tell me that they didn't care someone I knew died, it wouldn't have the same impact that it would if someone I knew had died recently. It would just be a conversation about how it's hard to feel anything for someone you don't really know. So if you want to clear that up DaSilva, by all means do. Is this just a general conversation, or one that happened when one of your friends was currently mourning? That makes all the difference in the world as to how it might be taken as far as being heartless goes.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed] :catgirl: You guys did awesome! I know Sandy was surprised by what we did, but then he didn't see how many pm's we were sending each other left and right. Between what I got from you guys and what I sent you I must have over 100 new pms that were just for this challenge. Even if we couldn't include everything we wanted it was great! That was so much fun! :catgirl: [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed][quote name='Sandy][FONT=Century Gothic][COLOR=DarkRed]I was surprised of how few inconsistencies there were (I only spotted the one where the kids talked about the police refusing to come to their help ? which was a fact that only Gavin knew and he had no opportunity to tell it forward before his death), on the contrary, the plot was very consistent. And I love plot-twists, even though they were pretty predictable in this.[/COLOR][/FONT][/QUOTE]Yeah, some of those inconsistencies happened from us trimming things out and not changing things to fit. Originally more of the deaths were going to be written out so that other people besides Gavin was ignored by the police, we honestly didn?t even catch that inconsistency. [QUOTE=Sandy][FONT=Century Gothic][COLOR=DarkRed][B]The Mercenaries:[/B]And I love plot-twists, even though they were pretty predictable in this.[/COLOR][/FONT][/QUOTE]Yeah, I agree, even though I don?t watch horror films my other teammates pointed out ideas I had that were predictable and had already been done. >_< We decided to go in favor of being consistent in that area. [QUOTE=Sandy][FONT=Century Gothic][COLOR=DarkRed]The closure brought chills down my spine, I took it as a symbol of the evil every human carries inside them. As I said, this would make an excellent short-movie ? or even a full-length movie if the characters were developed more ? and you should be proud of your accomplishment. The only thing missing from it is a title.[/COLOR'][/FONT][/quote]^_^ You just made my day. Not only did we want to avoid the clichéd ended where the killer can?t be killed, but we wanted to show how anyone could be pushed over the edge. Also, I guess it wasn?t obvious enough since it?s right there on the graphic, but the title is indeed Hopeless. :catgirl: [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=1][B]Please note:[/B] Other than the banners, the actual story is presented by links to access the sections. This is done for our 56k viewers as the load time for all of the graphics involved would be quite lengthy otherwise.[/SIZE] [CENTER][IMG]http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/3599/thrillerintro01wz2.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/7469/thecastrd9.png[/IMG] [URL=http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/The%20Mercenaries/CastList.jpg][COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=4][U][B]THE CAST[/B][/U][/SIZE][/COLOR][/URL] [IMG]http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/8606/prologuelh7.png[/IMG] [URL=http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/The%20Mercenaries/Prologue01.jpg][COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=4][U][B]PROLOGUE[/B][/U][/SIZE][/COLOR][/URL] [IMG]http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/6435/thestoryzy3.png[/IMG] [URL=http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/The%20Mercenaries/One.jpg][COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=4][U][B]ONE[/B][/U][/SIZE][/COLOR][/URL] [URL=http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/The%20Mercenaries/Two.jpg][COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=4][U][B]TWO[/B][/U][/SIZE][/COLOR][/URL] [URL=http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/The%20Mercenaries/Three.jpg][COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=4][U][B]THREE[/B][/U][/SIZE][/COLOR][/URL] [URL=http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/The%20Mercenaries/Four.jpg][COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=4][U][B]FOUR[/B][/U][/SIZE][/COLOR][/URL] [URL=http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/The%20Mercenaries/Five.jpg][COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=4][U][B]FIVE[/B][/U][/SIZE][/COLOR][/URL] [URL=http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/The%20Mercenaries/Six.jpg][COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=4][U][B]SIX[/B][/U][/SIZE][/COLOR][/URL] [URL=http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/The%20Mercenaries/Seven.jpg][COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=4][U][B]SEVEN[/B][/U][/SIZE][/COLOR][/URL] [URL=http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/The%20Mercenaries/Eight.jpg][COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=4][U][B]EIGHT[/B][/U][/SIZE][/COLOR][/URL] [URL=http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/The%20Mercenaries/Nine.jpg][COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=4][U][B]NINE[/B][/U][/SIZE][/COLOR][/URL] [URL=http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/The%20Mercenaries/Ten.jpg][COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=4][U][B]TEN[/B][/U][/SIZE][/COLOR][/URL] [URL=http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/The%20Mercenaries/Eleven.jpg][COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=4][U][B]ELEVEN[/B][/U][/SIZE][/COLOR][/URL] [URL=http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/The%20Mercenaries/Twelve.jpg][COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=4][U][B]TWELVE[/B][/U][/SIZE][/COLOR][/URL] [URL=http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/The%20Mercenaries/Conclusion.jpg][COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=4][U][B]THIRTEEN[/B][/U][/SIZE][/COLOR][/URL] [IMG]http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/1079/theendlh1.png[/IMG][/CENTER] [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed]It had been a long day but Crystal was finally finished. The worst cases of the battered children had been taken care of and the fools responsible for it had all been dealt with. It never failed to amaze her at how shortsighted people could be in regards to this sort of thing. Though her own people often looked the other way when child abuse was discovered, it still carried a heavy penalty if one was caught doing it. It was one thing for an adult to take advantage of another adult, but a child incapable of defending themselves? That was another matter. Crystal could tolerate the former, but not the latter. It was the main reason she pretty much ignored how Jared amused himself or anyone else who did the same, so long as they left children out of it she did not care. And though she found it distasteful, Jared unlike a fair number of others she had encountered was far more disciplined and in the thirty years he had served the military, not once had he ever done anything that would interfere with his duties. Something that other?s who were similar to him were incapable of doing. It was probably the only reason she tolerated him since for whatever reason he actually liked and respected her. Something that puzzled her since usually her blunt and forward manner irritated people. Crystal was no fool; she knew perfectly well that it was her expertise in genetics that protected her. Even the High Council looked the other way when she made an issue of things. Because most of the time she was right and the few times she wasn?t, it didn?t really matter. Crystal walked through the transportation door and back onto the Tempest. Her Sub-Commander close behind her. ?[B]Commander, is there anything else you need me to do?[/B]? ?[B]Other than to make sure all members of the security squads have checked in, no.[/B]? They continued in silence until just before they got to the bridge her Sub-Commander spoke again. ?[B]Commander, I?d like to apologize.[/B]? Crystal stopped and turned to face him. ?[B]What for?[/B]? He bowed before her. ?[B]For doubting you as a Commander. I thought it was a mistake that a doctor had been put in charge of a battleship.[/B]? ?[B]There is no need apologize, you are not the only one who thought it was a mistake.[/B]? He looked back up at her. ?[B]I don?t understand.[/B]? Crystal smiled. ?[B]I too thought it was a mistake, because as you so rightfully pointed out I am a doctor, not a true Commander in that respect.[/B]? He shook his head negatively. ?[B]Wrong Commander, you are anything but just a doctor[/B].? ?[B]Crystal.[/B]? She said. ?[B]Commander?[/B]? ?[B]My name is Crystal.[/B]? He smiled. ?[B]Thank you Crystal.[/B]? ?[B]Now lets go and finish up the reports for today?s incident, because I don?t know about you, but after dealing with such filth I really need a good hot shower.[/B]? He laughed and followed her into the bridge.[/COLOR]