Start of a slippery slope?

Posted on Tuesday 8 November 2016 @ 17:27 by Captain John "Apollo" Barstow, M.D. & Captain Melody Jones & Commander Caroline Miller & Marine Captain Elias Walker & Lieutenant JG Velin Ikiri

Mission: Old, New Ship
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: MD7 Before and after mission debriefing
1891 words - 3.8 OF Standard Post Measure

"Sorry chief," the engineering people said. "If we had more time to study it, maybe ...."

Caroline arrived back in the area where the Pods were being stored to hear the tail end of the conversation which basically meant they were going to have to do what Barstow had really not wanted to do.

=^=Miller to Barstow. Sir the pods are failing. I am going to have to take the bodies out and attempt to revive and stabilise=^+

John stopped in the corridor just outside the lounge and slapped his come badge, "go ahead doctor," he said and looked up to the speaker on the ceiling even though he didn't need to,.

=^= I am going to keep them sedated. We can't wait any longer or risk losing them completely=^=

The CO sighed and rubbed his face, his gut was telling him it was a bad idea but his choices were limited, "do it, but, I'm sending three security teams down and having the Marines standing by on backup," he said then turned and headed for the turbo lift.

He was not happy, that much you could hear in his voice but there was no time for further debates and her primary oath - the Hippocratic one meant she had to act. When he ordered the extra security teams down there, Caroline did not argue. Instead they got to work.

She ordered the engineering people to get the pods open and herself and two nurses started getting better readings once the material over the top of the bodies was removed. "My god. Their hearts are further to the right," one of them said her eyes open wide.

"We need them on the bio beds," Caroline told the engineering people, grabbing an arm of one of the bodies and with their help lifting him .... yes he looked like a him to the bed. And he was far more heavy than a normal Romulan or Vulcan. Infact you could visually see a higher muscle mass. Caroline set about creating a field round it and warming that area in the bed up. She injected them with a widescreen drug to help start to remove any deposits and clots that may have formed in their blood. "I hope this works," she said as next to her, the other nurses were following suit. "Right, engaging cardiac stimulator.

It took three attempts but finally there was vitals starting to flow through, the bio beds readings. "Right highest dose of Anodoplimatixe possible. This can take out a Gorn. Its the strongest we have."

"The bridge are wanting an update Doctor,"

Caroline nodded and pressed her comm badge again. "Captain all three have heartbeats now and as far as I can tell from our knowledge of Vulcan or Romulan physiology they seem to be sedated."

John nodded to himself as he stepped into sickbay, but did not go beyond the reception area for now, "copy that. I'm in the reception area, keep me updated and let me know when I can come back for a full report."

As the two nurses and Caroline gathered round one of the aliens Ikiri began to feel a little bit different.

"There hormone make up is completely different," Caroline said in wonder at the readings they were being to get. "No wonder they were so aggressive in the past. Normally Vulcans peak in this," Caroline was pointing out readings to the other two, "during mating only. But these, they have that level at resting."

Velin had been pacing in his room for the past half hour ever since the ... people had been brought on board. He pressed his call button again, they didn't understand the dangers they couldn't and he ... it was like he was fighting off this oppressive weight from these beings whoever they were. Whatever they were they were not safe and they were not truly sedated. With his Borg enhancements he could go up against them physically but mentally if they were this powerful in a somewhat sedated state what could they do fully conscious and alert?

One of the nurses heard the call button and came in to the private room. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

He looked to her almost frantic at this point, "Security you need marines in there, now in sick bay their not sedated not as much as you think and they have incredibly strong psyonic abilities its like weights in my head their ... their not aware but their getting closer and no one no one will be able to stop them. You have to tell the captain get them off the ship!"

Elias happen to tag along with the nurse that answer the call, and heard the conversion. "What could they do with these psyonic abilities?" He asked.

"We have no idea sir," she replied. "No one has any experience in this type of body chemistry and neither the Romulans or Vulcans have been forthcoming with any information."

He looked to them, "You do not comprehend they could take total control of this ship just by will alone. They can influence its crew to do what they want. You must get them out of here and we must get away as quickly as possible."

"Lieutenant," the nurse said slowly. "There is a field around sickbay supressing telepathy and psionic abilities in and out from the rest of the crew. We set that up to try aid you in your .... in what's happening to you. If they are able to manipulate us it will only be the people in sickbay. But as far as all medical readings indicate, they are sedated."

" where they're telepathic talents as limited as mine your precautions would be more than sufficient but they have abilities orders of magnitude Beyond mine. Please believe me when I say they are a danger to this ship and crew tell the captain. I know I may not be the most calm and assembled right now but you have to believe me." He could sense them begin to awaken.

"Alright. I'll have a fire team come up and help out security if needed. I'm headed up stairs for a bit. I'm certain that the situation is well in hand at the moment." Elias said, taking his leave.

Caroline's comm. badge bleeped the XO calling her to a meeting. Clearly the debrief. " Keep scanning and get as much data as we can. I have to go report to the XO. Keep me informed of any changes."

"Yes doctor," her two nurses said. Caroline left sickbay to attend the XO's meeting.

Velin nodded somewhat relived that they were starting to take him seriously. He walked over to the console and began using it to modify the telepathic field to a stronger frequency he hoped that it would at least help suppress their abilities somewhat while they were here. He sat down taking a breath trying to shed the pressure coming off of those minds but it only worked halfway.

Shortly after Walkers leave, CWO Matt Davis showed up in sickbay to offer any assistance that was needed. He had seen the Romulans on the bio beds and wondered if they were the problem.

John had heard the comotion and waited until things had died down before moving from the waiting room back to Ikari's romm. The CO smiled as he walked in, "hey, Lieutenant, how are you feeling?"

He looked over to the captain, he was embarrassed to be seen in this way but he sensed no judgement on the part of the man, "I've been better sir, my cybernetic systems do not exactly know what to make of this... their trying to regulate my body but at the same time my body is trying to assert new things to support my telepathic talents. I will come to an equilibrium eventually but until then, it is difficult. Have you been informed of the danger thats been brought on this ship?"

John nodded, "excellent and I overheard part of it," he replied and clasp his hands behind his back, "I know we brought the pods back, what are you senseing?" he asked.

He nodded, "Yes the pods but their starting to wake up ... and their psychokinetic abilities.. their not even fully conscious yet and i can feel them pressing in on me just by their own existence. It suggests that they possess telepathic abilities several orders of magnitude greater than my own ." He looked to the captain, "If they are hostile they could take this ship without firing a single shot. You think of battles in terms of phaser power and shield strength numbers of ships and things of that nature. These people wouldn't use phasers. If they wanted something they would just... make it theirs." He took a breath trying to calm himself still recalling those days of his earliest lessons just to contain his ability. "I am sorry captain i do not mean to get so ... agitated." He said his voice now much calmer, more like his usual, "However the danger is great."

John nodded and smiled, "you're fine, Lieutenant. And the doctor won't be waking them fully until we figure out what is going on," he replied and walked over, putting a hand on the mans shoulder, "we'll have both marines and security here too, that will hopefully keep anything from happening," the CO added, trying to sound reassuring even though his own concerns were growing.

He nodded and seemed to calm somewhat if only because he could sense the captain was beginning to understand the scope of his warning. "Yes sir thank you sir."

"No problem, thank you for bringing that to me," the CO replied honestly as his comm badge went off, calling him up to meet with the XO and CMO.


A little while later ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Caroline returned from the meeting, her one to one with the XO and quickly bobbing her head in to Melody. As she walked back into sick bay and saw one of her nurses immediately make a beeline for her she knew something was up. "Doctor, they are showing signs of the sedative wearing off. We think they are waking up."

It was Caroline's worst nightmare in terms of the mission but they had limited knowledge on their physiology. They could only work with what they had. She accompanied the nurse back to the room with the aliens in and ran a scan on the biobed. All readings indicated what she had just reported. She had to alert the Captain. He wouldn't be pleased for sure.

Caroline stepped back to start walking to her office when one of the aliens suddenly grabbed her arm.

Slowly, the room around him came into focus. He was not on their ship, he was..... in a strange place. Lying on a bed. His hand had reached out and grabbed someone's arm. He realised it belong to a female. A female who had pink skin, blond hair and rounded ears wearing a uniform he did not recognise.

She was clearly not the same race as he.

He struggled to fined his voice "Where am I?" he croaked. "Who........ What are you?"

TBC.............

OFF:

Commander John "Apollo" Barstow
Commanding Officer
USS Merlin

Centurion Sel'Mek (Jones)
Chief of Security
VS Tri'jema

Dr Caroline Miller
Chief Medical Officer
USS Merlin

1stLt. Elias Walker
Marine CO
USS Merlin