Change in plans - part 2

Posted on 18 Apr 2010 @ 8:50pm by Commodore Da`nal of the House of Varal

1,198 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: M4: The Cartaris Strain
Location: Main Briefing Room
Timeline: MD 2 0815

"Very well. If there is nothing further I have one other bit of business. Petty Officer Logan, step forward."

Jessica rose tentatively, but didn't even get around her chair before the comm sounded.

=^= Captain we have a priority one communication coming in from Starfleet. =^=

"Transfer it here."

Jessica retook her seat as everyone shifted to view the monitor as it changed from the Federation emblem to that of a Starfleet Admiral. "Admiral Rittenhouse...it is an honor to see you again."

"Thank you Captain, I only wish it were under better circumstances. Your orders have been changed. You are to change course immediately, setting a course for planet 583176d in the Panorian system."

Without even a second though Da`nal pointed to Lt. Kristere. "Get us underway...warp 7."

"That will be warp 9 Captain."

Kristere had stopped in her tracks at the Admiral's comment.

"Warp nine? As in balls out?" Wandella asked, wanting to make sure she'd heard the Admiral correctly, she had been waiting for this for a very long time.

"You heard the Admiral, Warp 9."

"I have never loved you more than I do right now. Either of you." Wandella replied in glee, scrambling to her conn so get ready.

Turning back to the monitor as the doors hissed closed. "Sir if this is such an emergency surely there are closer ships? "

"There are, but we have specific reasons for selecting you for this Captain. How familiar are you with the Cartaris incident?"

~The Cartaris incident?~ Don thought. He had heard about it, and raked his mind for details. Slowly it came back to him.

Kage shook his head, the answer was not at all in his case.

Silonez shivered at the mention of the name, he'd read all of the level one files on the incident, even knew about the drastic measures taken to contain the Cartaris, he never thought that there would be a day that he had to deal with it personally.

Rhys' face stayed bland, emotionless. It was impossible to know by looking at her whether she knew anything or not. Of course, considering who her father was...had any of the crew on board been aware of that tidbit of information...it was almost certain that she knew *something*, but no one was likely to ever know what.


As the stars outside the window behind him flashed and began to streak by,Da`nal took a long breath and nodded. He was well aware of that incident. A good friend of his and at the time fellow security chief had fled the Federation rather than accept the dishonor of being a patsy for other men's crimes. He was also aware of the severity of the situation.

Admiral Rittenhouse took Da`nal's nodding as confirmation. "You see why you have been selected now?"

"Yes sir. You need a Klingon...a Klingon in a Starfleet uniform. "

"Exactly. Approximately 11 hours ago the We got this transmission from the USS Weatherby."

~~“To any Starfleet ship receiving, the USS Weatherby has been over run by the Cartaris fungus! I repeat the Cartaris fungus still exists on planet…†~~

"So far all attempts to reach the Weatherby have failed. We know the ship is currently disabled by using the orbiting planetary survey probes. However if whoever...whatever is in control of the ship destroys those probes or worse launches shuttles or manages to repair the ship. We will loose containment of the situation."

Da`nal thought to himself, ~and he thinks the situation is contained now...~. "Understood, our orders?"

"Captain, we cannot allow the spread of this...fungus. However the Federation drew first blood on Cartaris. Keep the Weatherby and it shuttles in the system. Recover the crew if possible and establish a dialog with it if posible. The Cartaris fungus has infected Starfleet officers; that is both good and bad. They at least know our principles, but they also know our weaknesses."

"With all respect Admiral. Starfleet principles didn't protect this life for the first time they encountered Starfleet."

"Agreed, your job is to correct that Captain. The USS Ranger and the USS Malhalend are your backup and are doing their best to secure the area. Other ships are on the way to effect the quarentine and all neighboring systems have been alerted."

"Understood."

"Good. Good luck Captain, Rittenhouse out."

As the monitor darkened once again Da`nal turn to his crew. "What do any of you know about the Cartaris Incident?"

Don looked at the rest of the crew and then back to D'anal. "I think, inform us, captain, many might not know," he suggested.

Da`nal nodded ever so slightly. "Approximately 2 yrs ago a ship in the 14th Fleet, the USS Aldeberan, which has since been replaced by a ship of the same name currently serving in this fleet, was resupplying a science station in orbit around Cartaris III.

"The Station was a regional research platform but had lately focused in on the planetary ecosystem. It seemed that a kind of biological collective had evolved. Samples were taken aboard the station for study. It was found that the 'collective' spread by means of a fungus. During the Aldeberan's stay the specimens under the influence of the fungus escaped or infected members of the stations crew. The exact details of the breakout were never discovered however the Aldeberan's crew found away to counteract the fungus in the early stages of infection and used this to decontaminate the ship.

"However instead of using this or other means at his disposal the Captain ordered that several shuttles carrying Federation civilians be destroyed. No attempt was made to establish their medical contion, even after communication were established.

"The Chief of Security refused that order. He was relieved of his post but continued to protest the Captain's order as unnecessary as they had method of containment and decon available to them. In reaction the Captain drew his phaser and shot him."

Kage shrugged, in his former brigade that was daily life...

Remaining silent, Rhys thought to herself that what the captain had just relayed was only half of what she had heard. Of course, when your father is a top admiral and you've become adept at spying on him in his office without him knowing...you learn things. BIG things.

Don knew of a few things more, but remained silent, glancing at Rhys, certain that she should know quite a lot too. He looked back at D'anal wondering what else he would reveal.

"While the Ship was chasing down these shuttles, the XO and a team of officers had boarded the station and began wiping out anyone and anything that opposed them. Their mission - to destroy the source of the fungus. The planet itself. The station was constructed on a large asteriod or small planetoid...choose your own term. But the XO and his team killed everything on the station and sent the planetoid crashing into the planets surface. During the initial hearing the Captain and XO were cleared of any wrong doing and the Chief of Security was charged with attempted mutiny."

Yes, there was the crux of it, Rhys thought to herself with disgust.

------------------------------------

TBC

 

RSS Feed