Proposed Mission - The Delusion Syndrome (played - Jan 2019)

[Mondo'li Nari]

Mission Title:The Delusion Syndrome

Synopsis: A delegation from a new Gamma Quadrant species called the Numati (from the Numat system) come to the station.  The Numati are beautiful humanoids with a blue crystal-like sphere on their foreheads.  They are touch telepaths, and greet others by extending a finger to touch this spot on the forehead.  This allows them to sense the intentions of strangers, and the warmth of friends.  The Numati are very friendly and interested in meeting everyone... but they may be carrying a terrible danger.

Starting Point: A delegation from a new Gamma Quadrant species called the Numati (from the Numat system) come to the station.

End Goal: The Doctors/Science Officers on Katra find a way to reverse the mental damage and restore the station to sanity.

Story points that must be passed?:

1) A delegation from a new Gamma Quadrant species called the Numati (from the Numat system, location unknown) come to the station.

1a) The Numati are a previously uncontacted Gamma Quadrant species who have reached Warp 4 technology.

1b) The Numati bring a delegation of 100 individuals who form their 'First Contact Group.'  They are xenobiologists, psychologists, sociologists, political scientists, and others who are in charge of meeting and getting to know a new species so they can report on that species' ways and intentions to their government.

1c) The Numati received reports of a Federation presence in the Meridian system and have been travelling for a month to get here so that they can assess the Federation using their First Contact procedures.

1d) The Numati express fear of another race in the Gamma Quadrant named the Dord, who are slavers.  It was a disasterous contact with the Dord that caused them to adopt their current First Contact technique of holistically assessing a civilization before revealing the location of their own homeworld.

1e) The Numati are touch-telepaths, and touch everyone they meet as part of a standard greeting.  This allows them to sense the surface thoughts and intentions of others.

2) The Numati try to meet as many people as possible, and experience everything the various cultures on the station have to offer.  This requires a large NPC effort and should be split among the senior staff.

3) People the Numati meet begin to exhibit a delusion.  There is one thing, be it important or unimportant, that is false.  But the character believes it to be true.  The extent to which this impacts their interactions with others depends on what that thing is.  The player can decide.

4) Bizarre behavior is noticed, and the Doctors and/or Science officers begin to diagnose it.

5) It is eventually realized that the Numati are the cause.  It is discovered that Numati brain structure is fundamentally different from that of other species.  Their brains process so differently from those of Alpha-Beta species that 'imagination' based thought is confused with 'reality' based thought, and the feedback from their telepathic contact converts passing imagined scenarios in a target mind into factual knowledge in a target mind.  This allows them to accept a false fact as true, and act on that delusion with complete certainty.  The Numati are unaware of this problem, as this is the first Alpha-Beta species they have contacted.

6) The Numati will apologize profusely for infecting the station with delusions.  They will work with the station personnel to discover a cure for the condition.

7) The station personnel discover and administer the cure, and the First Contact ends peacefully after a bumpy beginning.  The Numati promise not to touch Alpha-Beta species until they discover a way to keep from inadvertently causing this problem.  This may put a premature end to any romantic interactions and make the departure sad for some.

Departments: (To make sure everyone has something to do.)

- Flight: In the interests of cultural exchange, some of the Numati will want to experience flight in Federation shuttlecraft, and offer to allow Federation personnel to fly their own shuttles and/or ship.  Also - the delusion plot manifests with all willing personnel.

- Engineering: In the interests of cultural exchange, some of the Numati will want to see the technology of the station, and also offer to demonstrate their own ship's technology to the Engineering personnel.   Also - the delusion plot manifests with all willing personnel.

- Operations: In the interests of cultural exchange, some of the Numati will be interested in how the Federation handles resource management.  They will also be willing to demonstrate their own operational processes to interested Federation personnel.  Also - the delusion plot manifests with all willing personnel.

- Security and tactical:  In the interests of cultural exchange, some of the Numati will want to learn about Federation combat techniques and philosophies.  They will also share their own martial arts and information about their weapon technology.  Also, there may be security issues relating to the delusion.  And Also - the delusion plot manifests with all willing personnel.

- Medical:  In the interests of cultural exchange, some of the Numati will want to learn about Federation medical science.  They will gladly share their own medical knowledge.  Also, the medical department will be central to curing the delusion.  Also - the delusion plot manifests with all willing personnel.

- Science: In the interests of cultural exchange, some of the Numati will want to learn all about various scientific disciplines in the Federation.  They will gladly share all about their own sciences, except for the location of their homeworld.  Science staff may be central to curing the delusion.  Also - the delusion plot manifests with all willing personnel.