Post #0011 The mystery deepens

Posted on Sat Sep 18th, 2021 @ 9:49am by Captain Shauna Callaghan & Lieutenant Isabelle Veran-Dallas & Lieutenant Lily Crawford & Lieutenant Hiri & 2nd Lieutenant John Dallas & Crewman Recruit Leaf Brol & Lieutenant JG Nic Covenant & Ensign 101
Edited on on Sat Sep 18th, 2021 @ 9:49am

Mission: Captives
Location: Ops
Timeline: Concurrent to post 009

On

A eerie fog filled the ring around the station as the alien craft was seized by the tractor beam and shuffled into the stations docking port.

Acting security chief Dallas and Isabella Veran were the first to lay real eyes on it. Clearly alien the ships metallics was like non ever seen as it glisten in the two suns rays.

" Keep back." Dallas warned Isabella.

Isabelle nodded. Something about the ship in-front of her was giving her the creeps. “Be careful...” She looked at Dallas, “I don’t like what I’m sensing from that ship, it feels... cold, dark..” She shivered as a chill ran down her spine.

Perimeter fields surrounded the docked craft which was roughly larger than a runabout. Two more security advanced along side Dallas.

" That damn thing is old looking" one said looking at it through his visor.

" Dallas to Commander Callaghan...we are in place."

“Understood” Shauna’s voice came crisp through the comms. “We’ve got no answers to hails here, you have permission to board but do so with caution!”

Isabelle looked at the ship, for a moment she was in a world of her own, dark corridors lead somewhere before she snapped out of her daydream.

" Isabella what did you see?" Dallas asked.

Isabelle looked at Dallas. “It was a corridor, it was dark but I had to follow it.” She offered a shrug of her shoulders. “Maybe it’s an invite?”

" I was raised to be greeted at the door after I knock." Dallas replied as he approached the door of the alien craft.

A hiss and then the door opened the moment Dallas tapped it with his rifles buck stock. A vile smell emerged which immediately all could smell as if rotten eggs had been left behind

" Isabella stay with Corporal Horne." Dallas told her as he and the other stepped into the ship. Horne placed a door block on the alien ships door to prevent it from closing.

Isabelle nodded, the smell from the ship was putrid and vile. Staying back behind Horne she once again had a flash of the same corridor, but this time it lead to a door. The door opened to reveal a bed chamber, but she shook off the vision. “I need to get in there Corporal, something or someone wants me to...” She paused as the bay lights flickered off, as the emergency lights came on she was staring at a face she’d never seen before. In that instant her blood ran cold, when the lights came back on Isabelle was unconscious on the floor.

Horne was down when Dallas and the other security officer exited. Dallas tapped his comm badge and lowered to check on Isabella.

" Medical emergency to docking bay one." he yelled .


< Sickbay>

A quick site to site transport brought them to sickbay as Hiri kept herself busy. Horne was dead with all his blood consumed and Isabella was also bitten by the same thing.

Isabelle awoke with a sudden gasp, opening her eyes she looked around confused. “What happened?... how did I get here? Last I remember I was waiting out by the ship when the lights went out.”

" We have a dead officer. And you were knock unconscious." Hiri answered her. " How do you feel?"

“I feel fine” Isabelle offered a confused look. “We were waiting for you, the lights went out and the emergency lights came on...” she paused. “Wait! There was someone... I don’t know who...”

" Someone? Nobody came past us." Dallas replied

Isabelle frowned. “I’m sure I...” She paused. “At least I think there was...” She massaged her temples, something in the recesses of her mind was telling her to keep quiet. “I’m sorry, maybe I was wrong.”

" Isabella someone killed my guard and you didnt see anyone?" Dallas blasted his anger.

Hiri interrupted. "You need to leave sir . I will perform an autopsy as soon as I have examined Isabella."

Dallas bowed his head," I'm sorry Counselor." He then exited sickbay.

" It would seem the blood in you protected you from what ever sucked out Horne's blood." Hiri replied.

“It did?” Isabelle wasn’t so sure, she couldn’t help but feel that something was off. “How did I not see whoever killed Horne?”

" You fainted or was rendered unconscious." Hiri said as her tricorder completed its scans. " All readings are normal and the baby is too."

Isabelle nodded. “Thank you Hiri. Can I return to my quarters?”

" Yes but check in...often," Hiri urged.

Isabelle nodded as she stood to leave. “I will, thank you.”

Outside the door a third robot standing 3 feet high and with a face waited for Isabella. It was Dallas utilizing a virtual presence device.

" I promised to see you home. I am still at the corridor to our visiting ship but if you'll let me walk with you I'll feel better. I also have to deputy robots on this hall patrolling for our visitor. Commander Callaghan should be placing us on red alert any minute." Dallas said via screen.

At that moment the corridor was illuminated by the red alert warning. “Attention all hands” Shauna’s voice came over the comms. “This is not a drill. We may have an intruder aboard the station.”

Isabelle sighed as she looked at Dallas’ virtual representation. “I thought you made your feelings quite plain when we were in Sickbay.” She walked on ahead. “I’m sorry you lost a member of your team, but it wasn’t my fault!”

“ I am a Marine and sometime the butt in me shows. Please forgive me." Dallas said as they continued to walk.

Isabelle sighed. “Very well, but just remember you’re talking to a walking mix of explosive emotions. Pregnancy wreaks havoc on your hormones and right now I’m not sure how I’m feeling. It’s probably best that you’re not really here!”

The virtual AI of Dallas laughed as they walked on .

Lily sat up in bed as the Red Alert alarm blared. "Great." she mumbled to herself as she got up and pulled her uniform on as quickly as she could. "At least I haven't been kidnapped from my bed this time." she made a mental note to grab a phaser for regular use from the armory and left her quarters.

Nic Covenant rushed to his bridge chair the moment the alarm sounded. He loved his job and grew up on the Bohr with his dad. Red Alerts made his day as the adrenaline filled his veins he was not prepared for the site he saw as the corridors light flickered only to return with the visual of a beautiful officer laying coldly dead on the floor beside the entrance to the next level.

Having arrived at her quarters Isabelle entered offering a polite smile to her escort making sure the door was locked behind her. Walking into the bedroom she made herself comfortable on the bed to rest as Hiri had told her. As she drifted off to sleep her dreams were disturbed by images seen through the eyes of another.

Lily was a little slow to get to Ops. When the lights flickered, she was still in the corridor, and flattened herself against the wall, making sure it was at her back, and was prepared to defend herself when the light flickered back on. The corridor was empty, except for her. Feeling slightly unnerved, she hurried the rest of the way to Ops. She felt even more unnerved when she saw the dead body. She had to stay calm though. It wouldn't help anything to get panicky.

"What have we got?" Lily asked, glancing around. She could feel the adrenaline begin to pump through her system.

Shauna was at her station when Lily arrived. “Power fluctuations are happening all over the station, at present they appear to be completely random. We’ve also got reports of female casualties, including one dead.” Shauna sighed. “What in the hell was aboard that ship?”

Nic arrived and was panic stricken at seeing the dead officer outside the operations center door.
" Gruesome bloody hell." Nic bellowed. " Has the Captain been informed of this?"

“Calm down Ensign, The Captain is off station!” Shauna looked towards Nic. “We’re on our own.”

" Is it a werewolf or a vampire? Who is next?," Nic whimpered.

But some answers came as Hiri arrived " Whatever did this acts similarly to a vampire parasite. All blood has been drained from their bodies in a swift time frame. Ships sensors need to be set to look for hemoglobic readings using the medical filter." Hiri stated .

Shauna nodded. “Do it!”

Lily moved to the science station. "I've got that from here, but you can also do it from the Ops station, Ensign Covenant." she said, trying to sound professional. Every time she blinked, she saw the dead body. Nic was probably more shaken; she had seen more dead bodies than he was likely to have done.

Shauna looked back at Hiri. “So this... vampire, it infects with a bite? Are we looking at a possible infection scenario here, or something worse?”

" Too soon to tell but there has to be a parasite involved some how. Usually from a bite or bites. I will be in the lab and sickbay." Hiri replied as the count was getting larger.

“Understood Doctor, keep me appraised of the situation.” Shauna sighed. This just had to happen when she was left in command of the station. “Seal all docking ports, no one in or out until we’ve got a handle on this.”

" Aye aye Commander. Sealing ports " Nic replied.

Shauna nodded. “It’s a good job we don’t have a full station, or this would be a prize picnic!”

"A very good thing. The parasite could also have come from that ship." Lily added. "Has anyone been on it?"

Shauna looked towards Lily, “Just a security detail, they didn’t find anything at the time.”

Lily nodded. "It might be best for them to get checked out by medical." she suggested.

“Already sorted, unfortunately we lost one of the detail and Counsellor Veran was injured.” Shauna paused. “I want a complete list of all victims so far, maybe there’s a pattern.”

"I'll get to work on that, Commander." Lily replied.

“Thank you Lieutenant” Shauna sighed. “Now all they could do was wait.”

{tbc}