Post #19 " The Second Wave "

Posted on Sat Oct 2nd, 2021 @ 3:31pm by Captain Shauna Callaghan & Commodore Sureth & Taavis {SF Capt. Ret.} {UFP Intel Agent} & Lieutenant Cranston Fuller Jr & 2nd Lieutenant John Dallas & Jyeth

Mission: Captives
Location: Starbase Mercury
Timeline: Concurrent

{On}

< Engineering Reactor Room >

Hiri had worked around the clock to isolate the enzyme and appeared to have found the sequencer. This availed security and science to look for a tracer. Installing the tracer into the robot sentries Deputy one had tracked a scent .

< Operations Center >

Shauna was at her post even though she’d bareiy had any sleep with the recent happenings. She’d set the computer to alert her if any motion was noticed in her quarters, but she’d found it harder to sleep knowing the creature loose on the station had evaded capture so far. She stifled a yawn as she stood looking over the latest reports.

" One of my sentries has found the enzyme. I am on my way down to the reactor room." Dallas told the XO.

Sureth emerged from his office.

" I am going with you." Sureth told Dallas.

“Captain” Shauna looked at Sureth. “You haven’t long gotten out of Sickbay after giving blood, shouldn't you be resting instead of running around everywhere?”

" We are short staffed and I want this thing off of my station." he replied possessively. " Monitor our comm badges and beam us out if necessary."

Shauna nodded. “Aye Sir, Oh and Captain... be careful.”

< Lower Reactor Area >

The silence and yet sounds of the lower decks could be both calming and frightening as shadows were everywhere. Deputy one returned to Dallas side as a good dog might to a hunter.

"It's in there Captain. What are my rules of engagement?" Dallas asked.

" We will try to arrest it and if not kill it." Sureth replied.

" Yes sir."

Deputy one, the robot sentry also entered and illuminated the direction for them. Its ultra violet light would be all they needed to find it even cloaked. Pointing it out in the corner Sureth and Dallas pointed their phasers at the body under the cloaked cloth.

" You are under arrest. " Sureth told the figure. It did not move even when Deputy one pulled the cloth off of it. To their horror a third crewman now lay dead.

" It is Engineering Officer Randolph. " Sureth told Dallas. "His blood has been has been drained just like the others."

Dallas looked around the room as Deputy one shined its uv light around.

"Sir there are foot prints leading away from this body. The boot pattern is the same as ours. Could one of our own be doing this?" asked Dallas.

In Ops Shauna was listening over open comms. [ Is it possible this creature could have taken over someone? It seems to have a connection with it’s victims.]

[ We will rule out nothing Number One.] Sureth replied vua comm channel.

< Operations Center >

An engineering officer entered the bridge and took his station. Part of his duty was to over see the stations life support system...which now was slowly being lowered to 0.

He then stood up and exited ops nonchalantly just as he had come in.

The change wouldn’t be noticed straight away, at least not until the air started to chill and get thinner. Shauna sighed as she looked around. She wished she knew what this creatures agenda was.

In the lift several crew nodded at the engineer unaware that they were standing beside the dark shadow.

A few minutes later Shauna was starting to feel a chill in the air. “Ensign check the life support systems it’s feeling a little chilly in here.”

“Yes ma’am” The ensign nodded. Moments later he turned to look at Shauna. “Ma’am we’ve got a problem! The life support systems are shutting down and I can’t get them up and running again!”

“What!?” Shauna frowned. “What in the hell?” She hit her comm badge. [Ops to Captain Sureth, life support systems are shutting down, we’re locked out of the system. There’s nothing I can do from here.”]

< USS Hiratio - Oberth Class >

The Hiratio had been ordered to this system to observe the newly discovered black hole but also on its way several crew replacements for Starbase Mercury.

" Lt Fuller we should be arriving to Starbase Mercury in two hours," the ships Captain informed her visitor.

Cranston turned towards the captain and smiled. He was excited to serve on the Starbase and had researched a great deal about the area of space he was due to serve in.

"Excellent Captain. Are we within Communications range? I'd like to speak with the captain about a few things."

" We are but they appear to be on a lock down Code Red. We are advised to maintain a safe distance upon approach." the Captain replied.

"That is really odd." Cranston replied as he approached a station and sat down. He scanned the station and what he saw from the initial report was not good at all.

"Captain we need to increase speed and get me to within minimum safe transporter range asap!" He stood and picked up his engineering kit as he headed for the transporter room to wait.

< Ops, Starbase Mercury >

In Ops Shauna was trying to get the life support systems up and running, the infuriating thing was she couldn’t even access the systems let alone fix them. She looked up at the mention of the USS Horatio’s arrival. “Open a channel to the Horatio”

She waited for confirmation, =/\= Horatio this is Commander Callaghan, we have a situation on our hands here. We have a creature loose aboard the station whose attacking, and killing our people. On top of that out life support systems are failing. =/\=

=/\= Acknowledged Starbase Mercury. Your new Chief Engineer is on the way. Just need you to lower your shield to beam him over =/\= Horatio's voice stated.

=/\= Acknowledged Horatio =/\= Shauna nodded to the officer at Ops. =/\= Shields will be down momentarily. Beam our new Chief directly to Ops =/\= As the shields lowered, the familiar sound of a transport made Shauna smile. =/\= We’ve got him Horatio, thank you. =/\= She smiled at the new arrival. “Welcome aboard the station Lieutenant”

Cranston saw the operations center materialize into existence around him. He turned as he heard someone welcomed him aboard. he set his engineering kit down on the nearest stationed and opened it up. He removed his tricorder and attached it to his hip he started glancing around at all the alerts and emergency signals he saw popping up on screens everywhere.

"Right oh! What say we get the air turned back on and turn the heat up. It's getting a bit chilly in here!" Lifting the input panel of the environmental control station by the edge he exposed the circuitry underneath. With the panel exposed he grabbed his tricorder and began scanning. It had been tampered with. He knew that much and by someone who knew something about it.

Moving with his usual manic energy Cranston started puling conduit and wires from the panel and started cross connecting them with his ion spanner. A shower of sparks one after another and he pushed it all back in and slammed the panel back closed and reactivated it.

Nothing happened. He shook his head and slapped his palm down hard on it and it reactivated with a usual tweet lcars liked to so often make.

"All right now lets see whos been playing around where they shouldn't!" Fullers hands danced over the panel activating dead subroutines and systems and trying to keep up with the cascade of failures. It was getting colder and his brow was sweating. The computer chimed in with an announcement.

"Total life support failure imminent. Recommend Manual restart."

Cranston continued to work the life support station panel. "Yes i know thank you!" Shaking his head he continued entering commands as quickly as he could.

The Horatio turned and pivoted to return to the event horizon nearest the quasar. Hoping for some R&R their plans would have to be put on hold.

< Engine Reactor >

Sureth and Dallas uncovered the body and secured the cloaking material. From there they awaited the sickbay gurney and would go with the body to sickbay.

" Sir it is all of a sudden really cold." said Dallas.

" I have noticed. Something has happened to the ventilator. There is no longer any air moving in this chamber." Sureth replied.

< Ops >

Shauna moved across to Fuller, “How are we doing with life support Lieutenant? Anything I can do to help?”

Cranston stopped his activity at the life support station and frowned.

"I've done all I can from here. The algorithm appears to be isolated from life support control for now but I've got to manually restart all those different systems and I'm going to need help doing it."


TAG:Shauna


At that moment the doors to Ops swished open, security were immediately on their guard until Shauna waved them off. “Stand down” she nodded to the new arrival. “You must be Commander Taavis, Welcome to Starbase Mercury.”

Taavis walked into the command chamber with a bit of swagger . "Thank you," her eyes glanced at the pips momentarily. "Commander." Noting that OPS was on full alert Taavis needed to get caught up. "Computer."

"Working."

"Commander Taavis, Starfleet liaison officer, assigned to Starbase Mercury for duty as Executive Officer. The Commanding Officer is in the middle of a crisis and cannot properly assign me. Command override ZHT-551. List me as active and on duty, effective immediately. Transfer all command responsibilities as executive officer to my personnel file."

"Done. Commander Taavis is now listed as executive officer, with all powers and responsibility granted to the posting."

A slight grin turned up in one corner of Taavis's mouth as she looked back to Shauna. "There, now we may proceed, Commander." She glanced around with nods. "Hello everyone." Eyes back to Callaghan. "I need to be brought up to speed, as you Humans like to say. Sureth is an old acquaintance. Is he in danger?"

< Below Decks >
A hover bed carried Randolph's body through the halls with Sureth and Dallas following with both holding weapons.

[ Sureth to OPS we are having issues down in the reactor room. Ensign Randolph was just found dead. Have someone from Ops get down here on the double and begin repairs to life support.] Sureth ordered.

***

In OPS Taavis gave Shauna the signal with her head for the Commander to proceed. She herself stepped to a console, identifying herself with thumb print and retinal scan. Once opened she used the secondary standing console to access essential systems. A foreign algorithm had infected the computer system. This was bad.

As the engine core slowly shut down services the systems on the station also began to shut down. Off duty staff joined their peers with blankets and warm beverages to help.

Taavis could see Callaghan hesitate, and for good reason. The XO was on site, but she had been in charge of speaking to Sureth and seeing to his directives. Taavis had given the signal for her to continue because she was the one in the know, and Taavis herself was the newcomer. But, with the hesitation Taavis had gathered enough data in mind to proceed. "Captain Sureth, Lt. Commander Taavis here, Sir. I am on site and logged in as XO and I am in OPS with your staff officers available." She knew that the medical information was being chimed in as cross-talk, which was good. Medical, this creature seems to transform organic matter, therefore I theorize that whatever it is doing is mutagenic. A mutagen is a substance or agent that causes DNA impairment that results in the alteration of the DNA sequence. This alteration of the DNA sequence is known as mutation. Any agent causing mutation is called mutagen. Mutagens can be physical mutagens, chemical mutagens, or biological mutagens. It has been documented by the NX-01 that certain civilizations guaranteed their survival by using mutagenic science to change any creatures similar, into themselves." She paused a moment. "Apologies, Captain, I am newly arrived and Commander Callaghan has been stellar in keeping OPS together."

Shauna smiled warmly. “Thank you Commander. Now let’s get this monster!”

{TBC}