// EVENT: CHARLIE WORK

[aqdidit]

// A VOICE FROM THE STARS
All the displays on the station come to life at once, crackling with a message. Someone's finally gotten a signal through the chroniton field. (Looks like Q's estimate of a week was a little bit optimistic.)

"Deep Space Nine, do you read?" A severe-looking older woman is on the screen. "This is Captain Eliyen of the Federation starship USS Tu Vishan. Deep Space Nine, do you read?"

Feel free to answer. Until...

// WE HUNT AT NIGHT, WE STALK AT NIGHT, WE'RE THE RATS
The feed, which has been intermittently staticky, finally cuts out entirely. After a little investigation, it turns out that some Cardassian voles have taken advantage of the relatively low station population to re-up their own population, and since they like to congregate around energy sources...they've stripped the power cables for the communications array.

// I'M THE GIANT RAT THAT MAKES ALL OF THE RULES
There are a lot of voles, which means you're gonna have to take your tricorders and phasers and go crawling around in the Jefferies tubes looking for them. You can use the stun setting, but they're gonna come round and start running away if you don't get them penned up quickly. Phasers on kill might be more efficient. Especially phasers on 'disintegrate'. Just be careful not to hit each other.

The main nest is located in the station's fusion core - be careful not to phaser that even on stun, unless you want to knock out the power for the whole station, or worse.

...maybe just use a rat-bashing stick instead?


// LET'S SEE WHAT KIND OF TROUBLE WE CAN GET OURSELVES INTO
Once the rat problem's been taken care of, now it's time to repair the communications array. The PADDs will help with diagrams and information on which tools to use to fix it.

The Tu Vishan can be seen out the station's portholes, unable to approach any closer than several miles away. The starship is waiting and hoping for communications to be restored soon, and hoping you haven't all died.

In the meantime, just try and keep the station running until the communications array is back online. For a bunch of untrained newbies, a week is a good estimate - especially if you've given Captain Eliyen the rundown.