Resurgens Actio pt 3
Posted on Mon Mar 7th, 2022 @ 10:23pm 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 & Commodore S'thenosis Gorgox
Mission:
Paranoia Nebula
Location: USS Sunfire
Timeline: Current
Last time, on Star Trek: Sunfire.
Outside the Nebula creature quickly expanded in the direction of the Sunfire, a gaping maw with translucent tendrils around its peramiter, now within .5 AU of the ship and closing. Its influence and harmonics increasing. Its only desire to consume and it's primary weapon decapitulating fear. Despite to polarized hull, the ship had power and lots of it. Power was always worth the bad taste.
The helm officer suddenly screamed, clutching her ears as the buzzing in her head intensified. Somewhere below decks hundreds of officers, crew members, and enlisted suddenly succumbed to the terror before them. Manifestations of creatures, fires, and all sorts of worst fears alike.
As chaos insued, only a select few seemed immune to the visions and horrors that engulfed them. As S'thenosis stepped out of her cabin for her afternoon stroll she passed several crewmen who were clearly not in their right mind. One man ran toward her, his shirt ripped open, blood oozing from a cut in his chest.
He grabbed her by the arm, "ma'am, their everywhere! We're lost. They will destroy us."
"Who? Who will destroy us crewman?"
He didn't respond, simply clutched his head and ran off. She watched him leave, one eyebrow raised, then turned and moved torward the turbo-lift. This called for a visit to the bridge.
While the..'neblua' or whatever the thing is, still has a grip on the Sunfire. That was not the only issue evidently starting to happen. The reports of crew members starting to have problems, freaking out continue to flood in. As, other crew members whom don't seem to be affected, or so far, are reporting the incidents.
Farther out by the 'maw' of the 'nebula' there seems to be what is a build up of energy. However, it's not from the 'nebula' itself but from inside of it.
The CMO burst onto the bridge. “Dr Wilson has developed a neural blocker which does help somewhat, it does not take the hallucination away but at least you know it is just an hallucination. She has begun to send it out with medical personnel unaffected. I suggest we keep everyone confined to their quarters, the corridors look like they need a riot squad and people are hurting others as well as themselves. I would like to give all the bridge crew a hypo? with your permission sir?” She looked at Saver.
Savar nodded his consent. "By all means Doctor, please proceed." As Niali began injecting the bridge crew. "I believe your idea of confining the crew to quarters is a good one if for no other reason the crew's safety."
She nodded and approached him and depressed the hypo into his carotid artery. “You should notice this almost immediately. Commander Kerr, Commander House.” She carried on until all the bridge crew were injected. “Anyone notice any difference?” She asked.
For the past few moments Thriss had been computing his thoughts and ideas. They would need a way to get out of the area. And fast. If they so needed. But his "idea" hadn't been tested yet due to numerous delays. If they used the transwarp drive to get free of the nebula and the monster, they would be essentially going in blind. But first, he looked towards the doctor. "Not to knock on wood or anything, but I don't really notice much myself, because I haven't really experienced the hallucinations myself. Yet."
Niali smiled, “some people have had no symptoms at all, currently we do not know why but we do know that for the majority of those who have this neural blocker works.”
The Chief Engineer then looked at Savar. He contemplated whether he should pitch his idea or not. It could be their only way out. "Captain, I might have a suggestion on how we can get out of here if we need to make an emergency escape."
Dean shrugged a little bit, looking to the Doctor. "I've not really noticed much of a difference since we got here, or close to be honest." Rubbing his arm. "I know we're all different in physiology but I'm not exactly quite normal either. Have you checked to see if it's more the crew that are telepathic, empathic, both, or may be more inclined towards those. Or...open if you will."
“Yes Commander we have and there is no difference, whatever this is it targets everyone. It is possible however that those who are empathic are more symptomatic and they are the ones that are sedated in sickbay.” She looked towards Aurora. “How are you feeling Lieutenant?” She asked.
Aurora gave Savar a look before looking to Niali, “To be honest ... I feel like I’m standing on the edge of the cliff just waiting to fall off.” She offered a brief smile. “Whatever this ... thing is it’s strong, a lot stronger than me. I’m not sure how long it’ll be before I’m joining the others in Sickbay.”
Niali gave her a sympathetic look before depressing the hypo into her neck. “This might help a little, if you get worse come to sickbay and I will sedate you.”
"You will be fine Aurora. Let the Doctor give you the injection." Savar stated calmly.
The turbo-lift doors parted and a real looking Dragoness ducked her head through the threshold and with an aire of authority addressed Savar, interrupting his conversation. "Acting Captain, I am disturbed by what I can only gather as a maddening state of your crew. From what I understand there are creatures about looking to destroy us? Yes, that's what I believe, and the crewman do as well." She said as if recalling the crewman's words from earlier. "perhaps," she squinted as if focusing only on Savar, "We should proactively do something about the mess we are in before my studies become further bothered."
"With all due respect, are are doing what we can and trying to figure this out." Dean glanced over to her. "We can't just snap our fingers and make it all better. As an observer it would be helpful to do just that, help the situation. Not start questioning what we're doing, ma'am."
Niali had not yet encountered this woman and she walked over to her, “I have a neural blocker here ma’am that should help you resist the hallucinations.”
"Commodore." Savar greeted her politely. "We are currently working on the problem and a solution to it." He answered. "We have no wish to intrude on your studies however some things just cannot be helped and this is one of those times."
S'thenosis motionioned to her neck, where the scales were thinnest, "Thank you Doctor, although I must say the only disturbing images I have seen have been very much real." Then her head snapped in Dean's direction. "As an observer one often finds the act of asking questions to be a most helpful tactic for solving problems as it provides focus on a particular direction."
She then placed her hands on the console and peered down at Savar, "I thank you for your concern Captain and wish you well in your endeavor, however if I may offer, as Mr. house has so elequently put it, an observational option?"
"By all means Commodore, please do." Savar replied as he and the others waited for the Commodore's observation.
Finchley looked around the bridge as he rubbed his arm from the hypo jab he'd had from Niali.
"Is anyone else impressed that all the leprechauns are all dancing in time to the tune?"
He saw the wild blank stares from some of the junior officers, a number of them looking round the bridge themselves. Finchley laughed then reassured them "Just some gallows humour people."
"Mr. Kerr. Your attempt at levity is both misplaced and misminded." Savar observed.
Finchley looked at Savar "That depends on you're point of view Sir, for some of us, humour is a coping mechanism in situations of stress and time's such as this."
Niali smiled, “you are quite right Commander, sometimes laughter really is the best medicine.”
"I am inclined to agree, Captain. Both of them are right. Not everyone feels that way, but it can help. So does small talk in times of stress. So does it let people talk about things that have been bothering them, or regrets, or the like." Dean motions to Kerr, "Such as yes, again, what they both said."
Finchley silently nodded his thanks to both Niali and Dean.
"As you say Mr. Kerr, it depends on your point of view and it appears I am in the minority on this particular subject." Savar replied evenly.
“Humour is a very strong emotion” Aurora smiled feeling a little more in control for now.
S'thenosis cleared her throat to signify she was waiting on a response from the Captain. It was a low growl as her vestige swallowed hard.
"I don't believe." Dean sighed, not going to finish the sentence. Switching over to their guest. "Not completely. We're still trying to figure it out, and readings are being analyzed. We have no clue what we're completely dealing with, ma'am."
Finchley suddenly clicked his fingers in realisation "Wait a minute...that's why!" he said emphatically, "I knew this situation seemed vaguely familiar."
Going to the Operations console, he began furiously typing on the keypad. After about thirty seconds, he found what he was looking for.
"Commodore, Captain, Commander House, perhaps this may be able to shed a little bit of light on our situation, if not why it's happening, at least allow us to draw certain information that could help us with possibly finding a solution."
S'thenosis returned to her statuesque stance and admired Mr. Kerr for a moment as someone who was at least attempting to get them out of the mess they were in and therefore return her to her books. So far all she had seen were people with hallucinations and conversations about humor is good for your spirits. None of which seemed productive and yet all of it typical for a ship named Sunfire.
"I apologize, Commodore, you made mention of having an observation. Please share it." Savar replied
"There Sirs, Stardate four two zero two point one, near the Rigel system," Finchley said "An alien object...a 'something' was discovered by the USS Constellation. It was basically destroying planets and eating up the shattered remains of them to use as fuel. It appears there's a whole report from the USS Enterprise who intervened and helped to defeat this thing. Perhaps that report can be scanned to see if their solution could help us provide answers. I mean, I know what we've encountered isn't eating planets, well, not that we're aware of, but what if 'it' is using devouring ships as a way of providing fuel for itself? I know it sounds crazy, and it's a long shot, possibly even grasping at straws...but what if the answers for us are in those reports from the Enterprise?"
Niali moved over to Finchley, “Planet killer! yes, I remember reading a medical report about that. I don’t remember there was anything of the magnitude of the illusions we are seeing though.”
"Yes, that's what I was going to get at. The more used name is the Doomsday Machine. Stardate 4202.1. Sector L-374. The USS Enterprise engaged the being, in defense of the USS Constellation. Under the command of Commodore Matt Decker. Which sacrificed himself to try and stop it. Ultimately it took the Constellation and a self-destruct by Captain Kirk, and it sent into the maw of the creature to stop it. It, however, did not kill it. Also, its 'skin' is made of solid Neutronium." Dean gave a point to the monitor after he got over there. "That isn't the Doomsday. It also never had any ability to do what is happening to the crew. It was a good idea, but that nebula creature isn't it."
"I realize that this Doomsday machine isn't wholly the same as we've encountered Commander, what I'm driving at is there are certain similarities, we don't know where this thing has come from, what its purpose is, but it is effectively 'eating' in order to fuel itself, in this case, it appears to be vessels rather than planets," Finchley said "with that in mind, perhaps there's something in the remedy that the Captain of the USS Enterprise came up with that can help us in our situation. Right now, we don't have a whole lot to go on by way of halting it would appear, but something they did could help spark an answer for us. I would like to recommend we at least look into it Sir."
“Well if I am no longer needed on the bridge I will return to sickbay. Keep me posted on any developments “ Niali said.
"Actually Doctor," Finchley said, looking around at Niali and smiling, "Could you do me a favor please, if you're able to find it, could you send me that medical file you mentioned please, providing it doesn't contravene Doctor/patient confidentiality that is. There could be something in it, no matter how small, that could be of help to us."
“Of course Commander, I will do it out and send it up to you, hopefully, there might be something that would be helpful.” She nodded and turned to go.
Aurora stood up. “Doctor, if you don’t mind I’ll accompany you to Sickbay, I think ... that may be the best place for me right now.”
Immediately Niali was by her side. “Getting worse?” She asked as she put her arm around Aurora’s shoulders.
“It’s just ... I can feel it like it’s clawing away at my mental defenses. I can hold it for now but I don’t know how long for.” She looked towards Savar. “I’ll keep fighting, I promise!”
Come with me then, I will look after you.” Niali turned to Savar, “I will keep her safe sir” she said, concerned at the readings she was getting from her med scanner. “I might have to sedate you to avoid any permanent damage to your mind.”
"I know you will Aurora just as I know the Doctor will look after you." Savar answered then turned back to Kerr, House, and the Commodore. "There are certain generalities between this nebula and the Doomsday Machine. However, a different solution will need to be arrived at. Perhaps 'bait' a shuttle or a runabout bur first need to find a weapon we can use against it."
The Commodore watched as Niali escorted Aurora off of the ship then returned her attention to Savar, "Not that my opinion would matter, but have we attempted to communicate with this," At a loss for the word to call the thing out in the void as it had not been told to her yet what it really was, she simply spun her hand and continued speaking. "This thing? I dare say if it is intelligent, perhaps we can persuade it that we are not food worth the appetizer?" This was why she preferred her desk job.
Niali and Aurora left the bridge and made their way slowly back to sickbay. There were still people running up and down the corridors despite the order to stay in quarters. Once in sickbay Niali cleared a bio bed for Aurora. She looked for Sarah so she could get an update.
" Did it work?" Dr Wilson asked as she saw Niali re-enter sickbay, Aurora right behind. The CMO hovered near Baldric's biobed, the mission advisor still unconscious and showing no signs of improvement. The rest of sickbay was growing chaotic, more and more crewmen arriving, some needing sedation, others the neural inhibitor she had developed. If they weren't careful they would run out of staff to run the ship soon.
Niali wiped her forehead, she was very glad to see Dr Wilson. “Partially only, maybe we can tweak it somehow. Aurora asked to be in sick bay, because of her telepathy, her visions are getting worse so we may have to sedate her.”
Aurora sat on the biobed looking around at those already sedated, and those running amok that the Sickbay staff were trying to help. In the back of her mind the creature was clawing away trying to get through her defences, the sensation pretty much akin to that of being clawed by an animal. She could only hope Savar and the others would find a solution soon.
[Bridge]
Finchley's brain was racing with thoughts as he quickly read through the report of what had happened with the Doomsday machine. Getting to the part of the report regrading a Commodore Decker and what he did, an idea occurred to him.
"Ok, we need to know what this thing is and why it's doing what it's doing" he began saying out loud to all around him "It's basically got it's claws, or in this case, tentacles, in us and we don't know why. I have an idea of how we can get much needed info, but I'm not willing to risk anyone else's life on that plan, just my own and I'm adamant on that. If it works, we could have what information we need to try and defeat it, if it doesn't...well, nobody else gets hurt."
He looked around at the assembled Senior and Junior officers and crew "My idea is this. We fit out one of the Sunfire's shuttles with as much highly sensitive sensor equipment as we can cram in and also boost it's shielding as much as we're able to. I'll pilot it towards this 'squid', for want of a better description, and try and get as close to it as I can. I'm betting that most of it's senses will be concentrated on the Sunfire, so a shuttle probably won't warrant much, if any, of it's attention, it has a bigger prize to capture. I'll get as close as I can and start recording as much information as I can and send it straight back here. Hopefully, in 'live' time, this will allow you to look at it and see what we're dealing with and what can be done to stop it. This isn't me doing this out of any kind of heroic act, this is a practical measured plan that I believe gives us the best opportunity at present we can have of finding a way to defeat this object. I'm not looking for volunteers, I'm looking to minimise the possibility of any casualties that may come along with trying this."
He looked at Savar "Captain, I firmly...wholeheartedly, believe this will work and I'd like your blessing to try it...please."
Savar listened to Kerr's proposal. The situation was not getting better, reports of more of the crew succumbing to hallucinations were increasing. "Indeed, I am sure you feel your plan has merit Mr. Kerr. However let us first try and see if as the Commodore has suggested we attempt to communicate with the creature."
Finchley tried to hide his disappointment, but he also realised that his idea hadn't been dismissed so could still be a viable option if the Captain wished to use it.
"Yes Sir" he replied.
Meanwhile one of the ferengi ships with the creatures belly began to break down into its base components, yielding the energy the creature craved. It's body flushed with renewed energy. Though temporarily restored, it's hunger was unwavering.
