The Beginning
Posted on Sun Feb 27th, 2022 @ 6:42am by Commander Jennifer Baldric & Commander Finchley Kerr & Commander Savar cha'Salik hei-Surak Talek-sen-deen & Commander Dean House & Lieutenant Commander Sandra "Phantom" Risa & Lieutenant Commander Thriss Kla'ren & Lieutenant Commander Aurora Vali & Lieutenant Niali Korial MD & Lieutenant Commander Bonnie "Bon-Bon" Durnell
Mission:
Paranoia Nebula
Location: Sunfire
Timeline: Current
Commander Jennifer Baldric watched on as the crew swung into action, each going about their tasks and working as the well oiled machine Starfleet trained them to be. She turned her attention back to the display before her, bringing up the EM readings as well as the last known location of the Ferengi ships before they stopped transmitting. They would be on scene soon, however she had a bad feeling they they had little information to go on and were essentially going in blind.
Savar sat in the center seat as the Sunfire slowly moved towards the location of the Ferengi ships. He was listening to reports coming in as well as technical data, that flowed across the bridge stations.
As they neared the Ferengi ship's last known location, Jennifer began to feel uneasy. At first she felt as though something were crawling over her skin under her uniform, thousands to tiny clawed feet pinching her skin and drawing her attention away from her monitor. She tried to ignore it and focus on her work only to find the sensations increasing. Suddenly out of the corner of her eye she saw an alien being lunge towards her with arm outstretched, injecting something into her arm. The poison felt like ice moving through her veins, followed by a fire that threatened to consume her senses. She screamed, drawing the attention of the bridge crew who saw her struggling against an invisible assailant. There was nothing there, a delusion that felt so real she had no option but to react.
Niali had just come onto the Bridge to update the senior staff and was heading to Commander Baldric when the Commander looked for a moment as though she were performing a wild dance then she began to scream. Niali lurched towards her “Commander, Commander Baldric!” she shook her and looked into her eyes and saw…fear naked fear in her eyes. Commander, what is wrong?”
Baldric didn't respond, she couldn't see the bridge, only the creature that had poisoned her and was lunging in to finish the job, terrified she scrambled backward, propelling herself with her feet until her back slammed against a bulkhead.
Savar turned in his seat and rose as he saw Niali moved to Commander Baldric. "All stop!" He ordered as he looked at Niali and then Baldric. "Commander Baldric, what is the matter?" He asked noting the fear in Baldric's eyes before turning to Niali, "Doctor do you have an explanation for the look of pure fear on Commander Baldric's face?"
Niali shook her head, took out her med scanner, and used it on the Commander. “Her levels of adrenaline are off the scale, whatever is happening to her she believes is doing so. Her neural peptides are down to nothing. I need to get her to sickbay now, if I do not stabilize her she will loose her mind. By your leave Sir?”
"By all means Doctor. Do everything you can for the Commander and keep me posted both on her condition as well as your findings." Savar replied.
She hit her comm =/\= This is Dr Korial lock on to my signal two to beam to within one meter bio-bed one main sickbay =/\= the pair vanished.
Aurora had stood observing what was happening, she looked to Savar as Baldric and Niali departed. “That’s so strange, she was absolutely terrified! I could feel her fear, but I have no idea what caused it.”
"I agree Aurora." Savar replied to his wife. "I also have no explanation for Commander Baldric's look of abject terror. It is quite unusual to say the least. Are you sensing anything from the Ferengi ships?" He asked as he watched Niali and Baldric be whisked away by a transporter beam.
Aurora shook her head. “No, but that doesn’t mean a thing. Betazoids can’t sense Ferengi, something to do with their brain structure.”
Thriss looked at the spot where Commander Baldric and Doctor Korial had been. A thought struck his mind. "Could this have been caused by the nebula, or the anomaly for that matter?" he began. "Given we were approaching it at warp?"
"I do not know Mr. Kla'ren. Would you care to expound on your statement?" Savar asked the chief engineer.
"Nebula's, for starters, can vary in how they effect different crews, people, ships, and planets even. This could also apply to anomalies. But what I'm saying, is that the possible effect is being projected from the point of origin, like a speaker projecting sound. Another example is the Doppler Effect."
The Engineer sighed. "But if this is true, then the events that Commander Baldric experienced might only be the beginning, and it could possible happen to the rest of us as we get closer, and if we experienced this, then who knows what the Ferengi ships experienced, given they could be much closer to the possible point of origin, the nebula or anomaly, or even another source entirely. But nevertheless sir, we should be cautious."
"Could the elevated EM readings perhaps have anything to do with what's happened to the Commander?" Finchley asked.
Aurora sat trying to ignore the fact that the hairs on the back of her neck were starting to prickle, there was a sudden feeling like someone was breathing down her neck even though she knew there was no one there. She flinched as she thought she heard a noise. “Did ... anyone else hear that?”
Savar turned in his seat and looked at Aurora, "Hear what Aurora? I heard nothing and my hearing is quite good. What is it you believe you heard?"
Aurora shook her head. “I don’t think it was anything. I had a feeling of ... well like someone was standing behind me, breathing down my neck. Then there was a ... just a noise.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I think we’ve got a big problem on our hands.”
Savar's eyes met hers. "If you have any more of these 'feelings' Aurora please let me know at once and perhaps we can get an understanding of what we are dealing with. In addition to your observation of having a bigger problem on our hands I believe you are correct."
Aurora nodded. “At least I have my Vulcan half to drop back on, the Logic helps to keep my emotions in check. The feeling has gone again for now, I’ll let you know if it returns.”
Finchley had watched what was happening on the bridge, trying to figure out what was causing the situation. He began walking towards the Captain and as he did, an odd buzzing sounded in his ear. Shaking his head to clear it, the shake caused his vision blur slightly. As his vision cleared again, he witnessed a green hue, like a transporter beam, appear to the right hand side some four or five meters from the CO. As it cleared, a figure stood pointing a phaser directly at Savar.
"Noooooo..." he cried out and began running towards Savar. In a desperate act to avoid the Captain being hit, he threw himself between his CO and the figure just as the latter fired. The blast caught him firmly in the middle of the chest and he was forced back the way, hitting the deck hard. Instinctively, though he was hit, he looked to try and get up again, but blackness began overtaking him. He looked towards where the assailant should have been standing, but as he passed out, he saw no-one was there. Confusion now rained through his addled mind, that was the last thing he remembered before he passed out.
"Very good Aurora. Make it your highest priority." Savar replied just as he saw Kerr shout No and fling himself at Savar. "Mr. Kerr?" Savar addressed the prostrate officer but h there was no reply as Kerr was unconscious.
Savar tapped his combadge. "Bridge to Sickbay. send a medical team to the bridge. Mr. Kerr appears to be suffering the same malady as Commander Baldric."
Niali entered the bridge. “Commander,” she said and moved over to the prone Officer “What happened Commander?” She asked as she began to run her scans. His symptoms were the same as Baldric but not as severe. “I will transfer him to sickbay.
"Commander Kerr was on the bridge when he suddenly shouted Noooooo and lunged toward me as if there was a danger to me before he collapsed into unconsciousness."
“I experienced something as well” Aurora looked towards Niali. “Just not to the same degree ... yet.”
Niali jumped looking round to see who had touched her. No one was near her. “We need to find out what this is or it looks like we will have an epidemic on our hands.” She looked at Savar, “might it not be prudent to move away from nebula sir?”
"We have stopped our progress to the nebula doctor." Savar pointed out. "However perhaps you are right. Helm back us away from the nebula."
Niali nodded, “once we are away from the Nebula we can see if we are still getting these distressing symptoms. I would also like to check we are not passing this, whatever it is to one another. If it is then we may have to begin to quarantine the crew.” She looked at Aurora with concern. “Please let me know if you experience any more symptoms and it may be Vulcans are less susceptible to this so I would like to perform some tests.”
"Sickbay to Bridge, Sirs we starting to get more reports of odd behavior, people seeing things that aren't there, people acting strangely." Dr. Wilson reported.
“Dr Wilson I am going to beam Commander Kerr to you, can you please run the same tests on him he is still unconscious. I am going to take some blood from Commander Savar and Lt Vali as I have a theory.
=/\= computer lock onto Commander Kerr’s comm and beam him to sickbay horizontal =/\= Kerr disappeared from the bridge.
"Thank you, Dr. Wilson." Savar answered as he closed the channel and looked to Niali. "Is there anything you can crew the crew to counteract these bouts of visions the crew is seeing?"
“I will instigate teams to give a small sedative to begin with, I will send someone up here with a hypo to give to everyone here.” She removed her bio kit, “please Commander Savar I will need some blood from you?”
"Certainly Doctor." Savar replied, holding his arm for Niali to take a blood sample. "Do your worst."
“Likewise” Aurora nodded her permission for Niali to take blood from her as well.
Niali withdrew her blood samples from the Commander and Aurora. “Thank you, I will see if there is any difference between your and Commander Baldric’s blood. Now I will return to sickbay. I would advise all nonessential personnel to be confined to quarters for the moment?”
"Very good Doctor. Please keep me posted of any developments." Savar answered the CMO.
Another thought struck the Andorian Chief Engineer's mind. If what he said to Savar was true, then once they cleared the area then all could revert to normal. Theoretically. But, the crew still needed to do something about the Ferengi ships. He wasn't completely sure, but he started to come up with an idea in his mind. That is, if he didn't start experiencing the same Paranoia that Commander Baldric and Commander Kerr were facing.
[Sickbay]
Finchley's eyes opened, and he sat up immediately, looking around himself wildly, "THE CAPTAIN!" he shouted.
Niali was standing next to Finchley when he awoke. She grabbed his arm, Commander Finchley, you are in sickbay, the Captain is fine, you experienced a hallucination. How are you feeling?”
The confusion on Finchleys face was very clear to see "Sickbay?" he asked "I don't...but the figure...they were so real..."
He shook his head a little, then looked at Niali "I'm glad to hear the Captain's ok. My head feels a little wooly, and I have a slight ringing in my ears, apart from that, I'm just a little tired Doctor" he answered.
Niali ran a bio scan, the sensory area of your brain is showing hyperactivation the same as everyone else. Do you remember how you felt immediately prior to your hallucination, any smell, taste, anything that was out of place?.
"Yes Doctor, I heard a sort of buzzing sound in my ears" Finchley replied, then asked, "Are we still heading towards the area the Ferengi ships are in?"
We have removed ourselves from the nebula and, for the moment things seem to be settling. There is nothing in the air that might be responsible but I am afraid at the moment we just do not know. Do you feel able to continue your duties sir
"Please, when it's just us talking privately, it's just plain Finchley or 'Bull' as in Bullfinch, if you wish my nickname, though at times I think my fellow academy friends meant it as Bullshit. Apart from the slight tiredness, yes, I believe I'm able to return to duty if you're happy for me to do so, I'll take your recommendation."
She smiled, “thank you Finchley and you can call me Niali. I would give you a stimulant but it might make you more susceptible to whatever it is. Several crew members have also reported a buzzing in their ears. Most of the nonessential crew are remaining in their quarters under light sedation but, if this continues we are going to be in real trouble. Please return if you feel any different.”
"Thank you Niali, and I certainly will. How is Commander Baldric?" he asked.
She has not yet regained consciousness and her vital signs remain dangerously high despite large doses of stylezine. We may have to see if we can wake her although I would prefer her to come out of this on her own.
"I hope she improves quickly" Finchley replied.
[Outside of Nebula]
Sandra got a creepy feeling as they approached the outskirts of the nebula. Hitting her combage, "Commander House, you get the feeling we are being watched?" Sandra said. Normally she would not second guess her feelings but this time she did. This nebula was almost pulsating like it was alive. Trying to shrug off the creepy feeling, Sandra watched the nebula as they got closer to where the Ferengi ships were supposed to be.
Dean banked a little bit to come around. They did have ship to ship comms and he left them on also so the Sunfire could hear them. It was easier than relaying information to six different people, six times. "Not particularly to be honest, as far as my mind goes. However, my gut says something is definitely up more than it seems."
Inside the nebula, the Ferengi ships were being slowly digested, their crew gone mad or dead, and the advanced composition of the starships providing fuel for the creature. It felt another food source nearby, a stronger more powerful one. Keeping the two morsels it had already incapacitated safely within its belly, it changed course.
Outside of Nebula
Sandra's eyes went wide at the sudden realization at what her mind felt and her eyes registered the vision. "Oh my god!" Was her final words before she panicked.
TBC
