Three Against Many

Posted on 30 Apr 2010 @ 5:14pm by Commodore Da`nal of the House of Varal

1,026 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: M4: The Cartaris Strain
Location: USS Weatherbey
Timeline: MD 2

Caecus had taken off the helmet of the environmental suit and ran a gloved hand through his sweat soaked hair, he looked at the young man across from him and gave him a smile that was reassuring and goofy at them same time "Lieutenant we get help and stop this here."

On:

"How? Those things are everywhere, they're fast and very strong. Whatever is controlling them must be pumping them with adrenaline or something...". Suddenly the tricorder on his belt beeped and his eyes went wide.

Caecus silenced himself and motioned for his companion to be silent as well, when their assailant came around the corner.

All of a sudden a man in a bio suit came out of no where and says "boo!" ensign Zachary Mythyis now had a smile on his face then laughed "hahaha I got you guys, boy you all nearly jump half a foot in the air."

Caecus smiled good naturedly as he shook his head, he knew that his nerves were on edge, he pulled out a medical tricorder from his case and opened in after taking the wand in hand as he scanned the new arrival for any sign of the infection that had taken over the crew. After a moment he closed his medical device and nodded his assent "He's clean."

"Very frick'n funny...we are hiding from a bunch a dronafied shipmates that are running the ship and you're making jokes." Punching the ensign in the shoulder, then holstering his phaser. "Ok, we need to disable the internal sensors before they wise up and beam us to where ever they want us." Looking to Zach. "Lets go funny man...you're the engineer here."

Zach much more serious now "Well then we better get moving, luckily I managed to get my hyperspanner however in my hasty retreat to the jefferies tubes I somehow forgot my phaser." Zach then looking over his shoulder as if he heard a noise "To be honest I am terrified this was to be my first mission in star fleet. I know we are expected to expect everything but I didn't expect this, I will do the best I can, the best I know how, all I ask is you guys give me any protection you can spare." then taking a short pause "that is since I am without a phaser."

The El-Aurian smiled fatherly to the young engineer "They can tell you to be prepared and expect as much as they want but it's never like in the class room...blieve me I have more than my fair share of time serving with Starfleet...Caecus Romehl, doctor and retired admiral."

"Don't worry I'll watch your back lets just get going."

Little did they know that the sensors were already out thanks to Oz's sacrifice in Engineering. All efforts had been focused on reparing the warp core mountings, injectors, and weapons so other systems had to wait.

As they argued and talked two 'people' closed on them, now they were heading straight towards each other.

"We should avoid main engineering if we can, likely the crew there has been taken over by...well whatever this is." Caecus said over the in suit comms as they crawled along the Jefferies tube "My personal opinion in the matter, once sensors are disabled, we should focus our efforts on weapons, navigation, and propulsion...to prevent this from spreading to other systems nearby."

The young engineer then took a deep breath "I agree entirely we need to stay under the radar as much as possible." Zach then took a pause and adjusted his biosuit as if uncomfortable "as for disabling the rest of the ship there is very little we can do in the Jefferies tube."

"I'm no engineer Ensign but couldn't we hit some of the transfer point for the systems here in the Jefferies tubes but I have approved enough starships to know that the tubes here hold all sorts of shiny pretties that are the nastiest to break, and we need to figure out how to get an S.O.S out...warn someone." Caecus said looking down at the tricorder in his hand from time to time, frowning as he saw something that he was hoping to avoid "We maybe having company soon."

"Yes its true the Jefferies tubes are used for access to the ships critical systems I should be able to disable weapons and navigation from here, the problem arises when you try to disable the engines. Other than weakening efficiency and possibly making them hard to control I cannot disable them without access to the bridge or engineering." then in shock the engineer said "wait company? what kind of company?"

Jake pulled his phaser, "Were they coming from?"

"Opposite direction from us...two lifeforms...this is odd..." Caecus said pulling out his wand and running it over Jake and Zach, along with himself and then began to press a few button on the device as his brow furrowed in thought, then it hit him like a ton of bricks "Of course how I be so dense," he saw the confused looks on his companion faces "Fungus."

"What?"

"This is an airborne pathogen, from what my tricorder is showing me what is affecting the crew reads as fungal...so the crew who have...died to spread the infection are actually more akin to a fungus in a reproductive cycle...in a fungi life cycle some forms spread their sporangiospores by forcible ejection from their reproductive structures, this organisms ballistospores uses some from of pressure build up to enable the explosive discharge of spores into the air...horrifying but incredibly effective in its take spread...I need to get a sample..."

"First thing first doc. How close are they?"

"Huh...oh right mortal danger first, solve medical mystery after that...let me see," Caecus said consulting his tricorder "Twenty meters and closing fast...we might want to move."

The young engineer looked in the direction specified and said "That sounds like a good idea."

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Ltjg Jake Rosenthal
NPC

Adm Caecus Romehl Ret.
CMO
USS Weatherbey

Ens. Zachary Mythyis
Engineer
USSWeatherbey

 

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