Resurgens Actio Pt V

Posted on Sun Mar 13th, 2022 @ 8:06pm by Commodore S'thenosis Gorgox & 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 & Commander Jennifer Baldric & Senior Chief Petty Officer Ronson Mitchell

Mission: Paranoia Nebula
Location: USS Sunfire
Timeline: Current

The turbolift doors opened, and Finchley gingerly stepped out first, phaser raised. Twisting left, then right, he saw that there were a number of crew already passed out on the deck, many of them twitching, but not seeming to be an immediate danger. Moving out into the corridor, he motioned for Niali to follow him. Moving slowly at first, phaser still raised, he saw that the area ahead of them was clear for the time being.

"Niali, it's important that whatever happens, you must make it to the Operations centre. I've made step-by-step notes on the PADD on my belt. What steps to take in getting the infrasound set up and sounded around the Sunfire. If I go down or am incapacitated in any way, you don't stop to help me, do you understand?" he said to her.

“I understand Commander, we must get the infrasound working I know it will help.”

Just as he felt they were making good progress, Finchley passed a doorway and an arm shot out, punching him squarely in the mouth. He fell like a sack of potatoes but was able to sweep his leg out as he did. It connected with the leg of the assailant, an engineer, knocking them off balance. Finchley was up again, a little groggy from the punch, but able to face the engineer. The look of fear in their eyes cut Finchley to the quick "YOU...YOU'RE TO BLAME, YOU ATTACKED US ALL, YOU WOULDN'T STOP, YOU KILLED THEM ALL, INCLUDING MY FRIEND, MY BEST FRIEND!!!"

"STOP!" Finchley shouted at them, "you're hallucinating, I haven't been to engineering, I've been on the bridge!"

"WHAT WOULD A CARDASSIAN LEGATE BE DOING ON THE BRIDGE!" the engineer shouted "YOU'RE LYING, YOU SHOT EVERYONE EXCEPT ME, AND THOSE WHO TRIED TO SURRENDER! YOU CUT THE THROATS OF... AND YOU LAUGHED YOU BASTARD... YOU LAUGHED!!!"

Finchley didn't have the time to try and explain it all, so he ran at the engineer and barged them into the wall. Bruising punches and kicks reigned down on Finchley, and he had to step back. He didn't want to do what he did next, but saw no other option. He still had hold of his phaser, so setting it to heavy stun, he fired on the poor engineer and watched as they slammed back into the wall again, then slowly slid down onto the deck unconscious.

Turning to Niali, Finchley said "Let's go, we're about fifty meters from the Operations centre.

She could not move, the deck plating was gone and the chasm into space opened up in front of her. She backed up to the bulkhead, slipped and went over the edge. She held on, legs dangling into infinity. She screamed for help.

Finchley looked round at the scream to see Niali holding onto the wall, terror on her face.

"Damn!" he said, realizing that she must be seeing a hallucination. He slowly made his way over to her and trying to remain calm said "Niali... Niali, it's Finchley, listen to the sound of my voice and look at me ."

From the dark place she was in, she lifted her head and looked at him.

"Whatever it is, whatever you're seeing, it's not real, you have to believe me, you're hallucinating," he said to her calmly "Give me your hand, you'll be safe."

She shook her head and looked down into the darkness her hands losing their grip. Then he asked her to take his hand, he would save her from death she knew would be swift but not immediate. She began to stretch out her hand towards his.

"Please, just put your hand in mine, let me show you that it's not real and that you're still on the Sunfire and in the corridor near the Operations centre," Finchley said.

She was nearly there, just inches away from being saved, a couple more inches and her hand was in his and he pulled her up.

"That's it...good, just reach out a little more," he said, taking her hand in his. Taking a breath as she did, he added "Now breathe slowly and concentrate, try to see what's really here."

Niali breathed in relief “you saved me,” She pulled him to her and kissed him, feeling his strength holding her.

He gently led her a few steps down the corridor, and as he did, he said with a wan smile "Physician, heal thyself, or in other words Doctor, use one of your hypo sprays on yourself, to help with what you just went through."

She returned to where she was, the corridor near to the operations centre. She took a hypo out and injected herself into her carotid artery. Almost immediately her vision cleared and she became lucid. She nodded her thanks “sorry about that,” she said.

As they continued to move forward, the engineer that Finchley believed he'd heavily stunned now stood up again and looked at them "You will be our energy, you will all be neutralized and ingested to fuel us, just as the other vessels were. They produced much needed sustenance for us, but you, you will sustain us for much longer."

"Not if we can help it" Finchley said, again turning his phaser on the engineer. Again, with it still set on heavy stun, he fired and watched as they fell to the deck, out cold.

Sudden realization struck Finchley, he knew why they were being attacked by this...whatever it was. He slapped his COMM badge, saying "Commander Kerr to Captain Savar, Sir, whatever this is see's the Sunfire as 'food'... it's why they referred to us fueling them when the Ensign on the bridge spoke out of turn. Whatever that is must-have attacked and digested the Ferengi ships, breaking them down to use as fuel and they're looking to do the same with us, only we're much bigger!"

"A logical assumption Mr. Kerr," Savar replied.

"The Doctor and I are nearly at the Operations centre" Finchley replied, "hopefully we'll fire the infrasound within the Sunfire, we'll let you know when we're ready, Kerr out."

Turning back to Niali he said "We must go now, we don't have much time. Are you ready to carry on?"

“Yes, let’s do it” she said with renewed purpose.

"Good, let's go" Finchley said, leading the way again. Within a couple of minutes they reached he doors to the Operations centre and as he reached them they 'swooshed' open, allowing access inside. Once in, he headed to the console he knew would be the one they were looking for.

Working quickly, he set up a set of codes that would flood the Sunfire ship-wide. Looking at Niali, he stood to one side and said "You've got to program what's needed to be used Doctor, over to you."

She knew exactly what to do and her fingers flew as she tapped in her personal code, once accepted she entered the code that would produce the infrasound and pressed accept. “It will take a couple of minutes but even if the console is destroyed that will not stop it. We should begin to see people returning to normal but it should take a while and they will probably be confused.” She looked at him with delight, “thank you for believing in this Commander.” The infrasound began to disperse through all areas of the ship. She tapped her comm =/\= Niali to Wilson, we have managed to enter the code for the infrasound it should be coming through almost immediately, I hope it works Niali out =/\=

"Roger, good luck" Sarah replied from the busy sickbay.

After Dr Wilson's reply, Finchley turned to Niali "You're welcome, and of course I believe in what you're doing Doct... Niali."

An awkward pause ensued as Finchley tried to phrase what he was about to say next. Deciding that the direct approach was best he said "I have a question for you, it's a little awkward for both of us, but I'd like to know, please. In the corridor, after you took my hand, you cuddled into me and said 'you saved me', then kissed me. Was there a meaning behind those actions?"

She looked directly at him, “do you want there to be a meaning?” She asked.

"It's never happened to me before" Finchley replied, almost shyly "I...just wondered...if it was your true intent...it was rather nice..."

“I've liked you ever since you chewed me out in the gym but, yes it was my true intent to kiss you, it just seemed the appropriate time.” She leant into him and gently touched his lips with hers.

The touching of their lips was gentle, warm, electrifying and Finchley found himself reciprocating in the same gentle way. True, he had found her brash nature somewhat brusque, but he'd also been drawn to her without knowing why. As their kiss ended, and he found himself looking down at her face he said, "For me, it was the same, the way you stood your ground, arguing back, almost in a daring domineering kind of way, as if unspoken saying 'I'll show you who's boss'...it was kind of intoxicating if I'm honest. The only person who's ever really spoken to me like that is my assistant, Shr'Nesh Karadis, but hers is a Senior Officer/smart Alec assistant thing, yours is something altogether different."

Niali sighed gently and touched his face with her fingers. “Oh how I wish we could continue this right now but, we need to find out if the infrasound is working, we should be seeing something by now and I should be getting back to Sarah, she is as they say ‘holding the fort’. She leant forward again “but I do want to continue this as soon as possible.” She smiled and kissed him again, this time with a little more force.

Finchley again returned the kiss, with the same intensity and passion as Niali, realizing he liked that she took the lead. As they parted again he said "I'd like that very much as well, however, you're right, you need to get back to sickbay, see if this has worked. I'm just going to do some scans of this object, see if there's anything I can garner to aid the situation."

“Please, be careful, I do not want this to end before it has begun. She took his hand for a second then turned and disappeared back down the corridor. Heading for sickbay. As she rounded the corner one of the crew she did not know although her colour denoted engineering sat with her face in her hands. Niali knelt next to her “are you all right?” She asked and took her bio scanner out. The engineer lifted her head. “I….don’t….Doctor?” She asked. “I don’t remember anything, I was in….engineering.” Niali finished her bio scan, neural peptides were indeed down. She shut her scanner fastening it back to to her waist. “Here let me help you up, you will be fine in a little while, can you manage to return to your post?” She nodded “yes Doctor, thank you.” Niali continued back on her way.

He watched her go, a smile on his face and his heart thumping in his chest. Turning back to the console, he reset it for scanning and began checking the readout. At first there seemed nothing new, then he found something he wasn't entirely expecting...part wreckage from one of the Ferengi ships was still intact, it was the engineering section. Honing the scanners in, the readout showed most of it was still there, functioning on what appeared to be emergency power only, but functioning all the same. He had an idea, it was risky he granted himself, but he was sure it would work.

Hitting his COMM badge he said "Kerr to the Captain, Sir, the engineering section from one of the Ferengi vessels is still operational, emergency power only but it's still operational. I can adapt the plan I talked about earlier with you on the bridge, but it needs to be acted upon now, before it's to late. I know I can beam in there, and I believe I can get this 'thing' to back off from us but without any severe damage. We're running out of options Sir, the infrasound will only help us here on the ship with getting the crew back to normal behavior but that's going to take time, time we don't have if this object continues to attack us in the manner it is. Do I have your permission to beam in there and try?"

"Mr. Kerr,, you have permission," Savar replied.

[Sickbay]

Niali entered sickbay, she had taken a while as she had helped several crew members to reorient themselves. She looked for Sarah and found her amidst a group of crew members all talking at once. She walked over hoping that this was a sign that the infrasound was working. “How are you?” She asked with concern also hoping that she could report to the Captain that at least they had that under control.

"We're getting there, there seems to be of a lull in new cases so we're making some headway" Sarah replied as she moved between biobeds.

Everywhere people were returning to themselves, some still confused but the majority ready to continue on to duty after a short rest. The corridors were clearing and sickbay beginning to empty out. Niali had sent Sarah back to her quarters for some much needed rest and she was preparing to bring their sedated patients back to consciousness.

[Bridge]

CPO Ronson Mitchell was perplexed. He was removed from the command staff but had access to just about everything in his role as Yeoman. The neural inhibitor seemed to be working and with chaos beginning to reign he made his way to the bridge, setting himself up on a science station at the rear and trying to help where he could. One of his talents was 'jack of all trades, master of none'. His stomach rumbled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten in too long. This sparked an idea. What if the creature was alive - and what if it were hungry? What if the Ferengi ships were food and it saw them as it's next meal?

" Ahh Captain Savar, I have a hypothesis"

Savar turned to Ronson. "Yes Mr. Michell what is your hypothesis?"

"What if that creature just sees us as an energy source? When you think about it, everything is energy, whether it's alive or not..." Ronson's voice trailed off. "Could we denote an energy weapon nearby and see if it goes for that?"

Savar thought on Ronson's proposal it made sense and it was logical. "Mr. Kerr, belay my last order to you. Mr. Ronson has an idea I would like us to try first. Which will not endanger you." Savar told the tactical chief and waited for Kerr's reply.

“Yes Captain” Finchley replied.

He allowed the scanner to complete its run, logged out of the console then turned round to leave the Operations centre. As he did, he reported the repair needing done on his bridge console.

Tapping his badge again he said “Commander Kerr to Doctor Korial, how are things with the crew after the infrasound was used?”

“Korial here Commander the infrasound is working, we have had no new reported cases, people are returning to normal some quicker than others and are returning to duty I have yet to begin to bring out the crew we have on life support namely Commander Baldric, Lt Commander Risa and Lt Vali but I am hopeful they will make a full recovery. How are things with you sir?”

"I'm...fine" Finchley replied "I was heading back towards the bridge, Mr Ronson has had an idea that the Captain wants to try first."

“Be…. good luck Commander Korial out”

Niali had wanted to tell him to be careful but she knew that would not be protocol. Her fingers went to her lips as she remembered the taste of his kiss. ‘Maybe’ she thought ‘maybe it was a trick of the danger and excitement of it all that had caused him to respond in the way he did. She resolved to let the next step, if there was to be a next step come from him.

Finchley looked down at his COMM badge, the reply from Niali had been an odd one. She'd started to say something, then altered it...'be'...be what he wondered?

As he continued on his way, his mind wouldn't let it go, but he had to concentrate on what was currently happening. Tapping his COMM badge again he said, "Kerr to Karadis, get me everything we have on the Ferengi D'Kora Class ships, especially their engineering section, I'll be there shortly."

"Aye Commander" Karadis replied "I'll have it ready for you getting here, Karadis out."

TBC