Going Mad

Posted on Thu Mar 10th, 2022 @ 2:16am by Commander Jennifer Baldric & Lieutenant Sarah Wilson & Commander Savar cha'Salik hei-Surak Talek-sen-deen & Lieutenant Niali Korial MD

Mission: Paranoia Nebula
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: Just after Baldric goes mad

Commander Jennifer Baldric materialsed in sickbay with Dr Korial, and continued her flight. Not only had they poisoned her but now they were attempting to kidnap her. She flailed badly, lashing out at anyone who came near her as she battled with the demons in her mind.

Medical team 1 clustered around her as the bio sensors screamed. “”Commander Baldric, Jennifer, do you know who I am?” Niali asked. “What is happening to you?”

Jennifer's eyes were wild, completely unresponsive to the rational query presented. She continued to trash against the imaginary assailant, not letting anyone near her.

It was as though she were fighting for her life. “I am going to have to sedate her, hypo 3ccs Dylamodon” she held her hand up and the hypo was slapped into her palm. “Jennifer you are in sickbay I am Niali Korial your Chief Medical Officer, I am going to have to sedate you to examine you, find out what is happening.”

Baldric screamed in terror as Niali spoke to her, in her mind an alien was threatening her, advancing towards her with more poison that would undoubtedly kill her.

“I am truly sorry to do this Commander, Doctor engage the forcefield patient tight.” This was done and Jennifer could no longer move. Niali depressed the hypo into her carotid artery. Her patients blood pressure was high enough to provoke an insult to the brain and her pulse continued to climb. She waited for the sedation to take effect.

The fear was replaced by pure terror, the alien approached and now she was unable to move. Her heart pounded like a pounding drum in her chest and her eyes hurt from the pressure building within her body. Another sting in her neck and her perception distorted against.

Niali wondered how the hell was she still conscious? and depressed another 3ccs into her. Any more and the sedation would be such as to preclude her breathing. In fact that would be her next idea to sedate her and place her on life support.

The edges of her vision began to cloud, a dark tunnel forming around her consciousness and pulling her like a stone down under the water. She struggled against the tide, fighting a losing battle against the sedation. After a few long moments the medication won and she slumped to the ground.

Niali breathed a sigh of relief and they lifted the Commander onto the biobed. “I want complete blood work, neural scans and cortical monitoring. Prepare IV’s of vasopressin and titrate to her blood pressure. Let me know if she begins to regain consciousness. I am going to check the Commander's medical records.”

Dr Sarah Wilson appeared from the other ward where she had been stablising a broken femur. Hearing the commotion she approached the new CMO. " What have we got Boss? Need a hand?"

Niali looked up from the PaDD and smiled, “That would be wonderful Dr Wilson. Our new patient Commander Jennifer Baldric. Was on the bridge during her shift and suddenly began to what looked like try to fight off an invisible enemy, screaming and unable to articulate what was going on. There was no reasoning with her so we beamed back here. I had to use a forcefield and two doses of sedative to induce adequate sedation. Blood pressure and pulse through the roof. They are running neural and hematological panels and she has a cortical monitor in place. I am just trying to find something in her medical records to explain this. You know her, any medical history you know of?”

"She's only fairly new on board, having joined at the beginning of this mission when Captain Kaylen went on leave. I have her medical files as transferred from DS9 though" She pulled up the file and had a cursory browse. " She'd had some pretty nasty injuries in the past on some away missions, but her last physical was all green." Sarah handed over the padd "Have a look, it seems pretty normal to me"

“Then can you run a complete atmospheric and viral panel? Let’s see if there is anything infective.” She returned to her patient noting that her blood pressure and pulse were returning to within normal limits but she suspected that if sedation was reduced her condition would once again deteriorate. She tapped her com,

=/\= Dr Korial to Commander Savar=/\=

On the bridge, Savar heard the CMO's call and tapped his combadge. "Savar here Doctor. How is Commander Baldric? Have you been able to determine what is wrong with her?"

“She is not good sir. We have had to sedate her and put her in a forcefield for her and our own safety. All the normal tests so far have come back negative so we are screening for a possible viral infection. Her neural scan shows a multi infarct dementia. This appears to be the cause of her violent behavior. I have a hunch that this might be airborne so We might possibly expect more cases.”

Savar listened to Niali's diagnosis stoically. "I see. Doctor, is there anything that can be done to protect the crew from anymore of these 'outbursts? Such as taking air samples to see if there is anything abnormal in the air."

“I have a hunch that it might be airborne, logic however would maintain the theory that it very possibly has something to do with the nebula, perhaps the same thing happened to the Ferengi?”

Savar spoke. "A logical if so far unproven theory Doctor. Continue your tests on both Commander Baldric as well the air. We will maintain our position here until we have more answers."

“Thank you Commander.” Niali left the bridge.

"Yes Sir" Sarah replied and began running the requested diagnostics. As she worked she couldn't help but wonder if something bigger was going on, something that this could be a warning of.

Some time later Sarah returned with the results - the atmospheric and viral scans had come back clean, however there was significant activity in the part of the brain that processed sensory perception. " Doctor, all tests have returned negative results - but have a look at this" The chart was erratic but trend towards a rising level. "Whatever is going on, it's getting worse, do you reckon it could be related to the Ferengi?"

“I suppose it could but we would have to reach their vessel and it seems that currently the nebula might be stopping us.” She was silent for moment. “I felt sure it was airborne” she said, whatever it is it induces individual hallucinations, Commander Finchley did not have the reaction Commander Baldric had, is there any difference in their sensory brain patterns? Whatever it is we may need to get to that ship, the answer might be there.”

"My gut tells me you may right there, we're starting to get more calls to crew behaving oddly" Sarah looked at the com system start to light up with requests for assistance.

Niali tapped her comm. Dr Korial to Commander Savar”

On the bridge Savar heard Korial's hail and tapped his combadge, "Savar here Doctor."

“All the tests on the environment are negative, Dr Wilson has detected an acute sensory stimulation on all our patients who are complaining of hallucinations. Have we detected anything of alien nature on the hull Commander, this could be the beginnings of an alien incursion?”

Savar arched an eyebrow, "Nothing unusual as been detected on the hull Doctor. To be honest, we are still quite a distance from the nebula even though scans show it moving towards us."


Jennifer roused a little through the sedative and began twisting violently against the biobed's restraints, trying to escape. Her eyes were wild yet unseeing. "It's coming for us!" She shouted against the noise of the rapidly filling sickbay.

TBC