Arrival
Posted on Saturday 27 March 2021 @ 18:11 by Captain Melody Jones & Commander Save'ena (Sav) Tillatix & Commander Caroline Miller & Lieutenant Marbim Rejal & Lieutenant Commander Hayley Godding & Lieutenant Nir’anyar & Major David Scarlet & Gunnery Sergeant Alexander Beck
Edited on on Saturday 27 March 2021 @ 18:12
Mission:
A Cry from the Darkness
Location: Ceti Beta 4
Timeline: 23951010 - MD 5 1000
2339 words - 4.7 OF Standard Post Measure
ON:
Captain's Log, Supplemental: The Merlin has arrived at Ceti Beta 4. We still have had no contact with the colony. I'll be sending Commander Regal down to the surface with a marine detachment to determine the situation down there and then we can work out the best course of action.
Melody sat in the Captain's chair looking at the planet on the viewer. "Repeat the hail, Commander."
Hayley checked her console again before repeating the hail. "I've tried repeatedly, Captain." She said. "Our transmissions are being received by the transmitter down there - but for whatever reason, they're just not answering ma'am."
Melody frowned. "Keep repeating the hail every 10 minutes. Someone's bound to be home. We are detecting life signs down there aren't we?"
Mathias checked his scans and nodded, "Yes, we are but still no answer. I'll keep checking on them and hail on different frequencies." doing as he stated he would.
Sickbay had been prepared for every contingency that the new Chief Medical Officer, it still sounded peculiar to Anya even now, and her second, Doctor Ch'rehron could think off so she had taken the time to come up to the bridge, exercising her new role and also to be on hand for the initial away team.
Caroline sat down in her usual spot next to Melody, looking at her with a bemused expression.
Melody turned to Rejal. "Assemble your away team Number one and be careful down there. Report anything out of the ordinary, and check in every hour."
Miles looked around the bridge before answering, then he turned to look at Melody. "Yes Mam. Now no wild parties with Nausican's or Klingons while I'm gone. I don't need your husband mad at me." With a grin and a spring in his step Marbim begins issuing orders from his comm.badge. Stopping by his station he pops a panel open and pulls out one of his Klingon fighting knives. Looking back over at Melody he sighs and slides it back into its hidey hole. As he enters the turbolift he murmurs, "Main transporter room."
Sav was not sure if her fiance was looking towards her or not, but her tail moved in a certain pattern meant to convey, 'Love you, be careful'. She had been showing him the more obvious tail signs of the Mephetians and L'Tandrey races. Still, her brow furrowed as she overheard 'Main transporter room.' Under her breath, she asked herself, "Shouldn't that be main shuttle bay?"
Anya moved to follow the First Officer and the others, despite not being ordered to join the away team she had no intention of allowing the team to leave without her.
Once the door closes he taps his combadge, "Lieutenant Scarlet, the Captain has given us leave to go play with the natives, care to meet me in the transporter room, and bring some friends."
Scarlet was busy going over last minute kit checks with Bravo platoon when his comm badge chirped. "Understood sir. Bravo Platoon is ready."
He was a bit surprised by the sudden change in transportation but didn't question it. Scarlet looked to the gathered soldiers. "Alright troops. Double file. We're heading to the main transporter room. Before transporting down, make sure your equipment is secure and your hazmat gear is worn properly."
Beck began looking over his section. He was acting section leader in charge of two squads for this mission. He imagined that Lieutenant Scarlet wanted to see if he could handle them in the field. It was normal when getting a new NCO. He looked at Private Barker, whom he'd correctly pegged as a 'problem child'. Barker was competent in his duties as a Marine, but he was a brawler who liked to pick fights. Beck was sure he'd set him straight the day he'd challenged Barker on the mats. Though Barker was young and in great shape, he had forgotten the age old adage. "Always beware of the old man in an occupation where most men die young." The older and more experienced Gunny had made quick work of him.
"You ready kid? " he asked.
Barker looked serious. "I'm fully joy, Gunny. " he replied.
"Good. Remember. Head on a swivel. " said Beck. He had taken an interest in Barker because the kid reminded him of himself at that age. He had a lot of potential, but he also had a head full of crap. Beck would keep an eye on him.
Pearl was quiet for the most part, she wasn't going to be pushing any buttons, not on this account. This was another test, to see if Scarlet and Richards were going to be the hoped for leaders of the Bravo Platoon. This is when the chips were going to fall, but she wasn't going to do anything to hurt her fellow marines. This was serious business, her personal issues with seeing how good the command staff was, set to one side. She had to make certain no one was going to be left behind.
Richards was at the back of the assembled group. He would be acting as Scarlet's 2IC for this mission with the squads being broken up and managed by their respective squad leaders. It was all scripted to be a fairly standard humanitarian op - go in, establish a FOB, distribute aid, assist those in need, etc. Pretty text-book stuff. Nothing outside of their training or expertise. Still, Richards was haunted by the briefing that he'd had with Scarlet and Beck, and was keenly aware that things were not as clear cut as all that. Whilst they were going in under standard SOP, Alex was going to keep his eyes and ears open. Something didn't add up...
"Move out." Scarlet commanded firmly.
Back on the bridge Melody came to stand by Sav'ena. "Is the air support all ready Commander?"
Sav churred gently, "Yes Captain. The three class 6 probes are already in orbit for keeping us in constant contact wherever the landing parties need to go, the 3 class 5 probes are ready to launch for landing and gathering data whenever Sciences identifies the places those need to land, while we have 2 runabouts configured for quarantine medical surgery and treatment standing by to go to our forward base, 2 runabouts as full labs, 2 type 11 shuttles for full security, one for counselling and triage, and the final one for patient overflow. We just need to figure out where we want our forward operating base."
Sav thought for a moment, "Why are the XO and marine unit beaming down? Shouldn't they take a shuttle down so as to scan and find an FOB while also maintaining quarantine from whatever is on the planet?"
*******Main Transporter Room*******
Miles nodded as his Away Team met him. "I know this is odd, but bear with me." Turning to the Transporter Chief, Miles began talking. "I want you to re-scan all of us. I have a sinking feeling that something may go wrong, and I'm not leaving anyone behind. I also want transporter signal boosters delivered to our shuttle as we make our way there, got it?"
With a gulp and a nervous look, the Chief responded, "Yes Sir, right away Sir." Several Marines at a time began moving across the transport pads, each being scanned by the computer to reinforce their DNA and body into the transport buffer. Once everyone was done, the Chief piped up, "Sir, the boosters have been loaded into your shuttle."
Miles grin has faded, "Thank you Chief. I'd hate to disappoint my fiance by not coming back, and my Captain for leaving anyone in a hostile situation. Hopefully I'm wrong. Keep your ears open Chief."
Looking at the Marines and Mathias, "Any questions gentlemen, if not, we can head for our shuttle now."
Mathias gave a nod to Miles, "Ready to go."
Anya entered, a few moments behind everyone else as she had stopped to gather a medical kit and a phaser that she had holstered to her hip. Once surrounded by the rest of the team she couldn't help but find herself feeling a little intimidated, standing almost a head shorter than the other officers and likely the only one on the team with no real combat experience.
Scarlet motioned for the marines to break into groups and go onto the transporter pad. He walked over to Commander Rejal. "Good idea Commander." Scarlet offered. "Considering the unknown nature of illnesses, we can usually only depend on past experience... which may be lacking in this case."
Miles looked at the Marines boarding the platform...then caught Scarlet's attention. "I'd hate not to use the shuttles, but I feel like this might be the safer option at the moment. Once we've hit the ground, if we feel the situation is safe, we can bring down the ones that Sav has prepared. If we need to bug out, then we can without leaving anything behind, lets do this."
Tapping his combadge, "Captain, Rejal. I know this may throw a wrench in our plans, but I'd feel more comfortable if we beam down, assess the situation, then bring our shuttles down. If that's acceptable, then we'll go on your say-so."
Melody thought for a moment before responding. "Very well Commander. Permission to beam down granted. Be careful down there Number One. Contact commander Tillatix when you are ready for the air support."
Miles looked at the marines around him, "Ok, let's go earn our pay gentlemen." Tapping his combadge, "We'll report as soon as we're on the surface, Rejal out."
Mathias gave Anya a smile, when she arrived.
She smiled back in return, thankful of someone on the away team that she was familiar with before pulling her breather mask on, not knowing what may be awaiting them on the surface. The last thing she wanted was for the away team to be infected with whatever this was the moment they transported down.
One last check of his compression rifle, Richards felt ready for whatever they were about to arrive into. It was a little unusual for marines to be performing away-team security like this, but not totally unheard of. It was unsettling though - marines fought bad-guys, not viruses. There was very little that a phaser rifle was going to do to stop a pathogen. He just hoped this wasn't going to be a FUBAR operation...
**** Main Bridge ****
Melody had heard Sav's concern. "It's ok Commander, The XO is just getting a fallback position in place should the worse happen."
Sav's tail shook once in affirmation. Before she could say anything though, she was interrupted.
Suddenly the comm system burst to life with a transmission from the planet.
A few more hails then there is a crackling noise coming then a male voice is heard, "H-hello? this is T'embien Ransa. C-can you read me? Can you hear me?" some static and it comes up as someone cleared the connection.
"Alright, Captain, we've established communications." Hayley reported - stating the obvious.
"Ah! A sign of life. Things are looking up." Melody said to herself before raising her voice. "Mr Ransa, This is the USS Merlin, I'm Captain Melody Jones. We're responding to your distress call. An away team will be joining you presently. What is the situation down there?"
Burst of static then Ransa answered. "People are sick, plus we've barely been able to get our communications up and running. Connection... spotty."
Melody frowned and whispered to Caroline "He's not being very helpful and he sounds nervous."
“I would concur, ” the blond said. “Hes being very vague on the illness and the technology.”
Melody's already raised suspicions were growing. "Can you be more specific about the nature of the disease?" She asked, trying to keep a gentle tone in her voice.
Ransa sighed, "We are not certain just what it is but, some of the symptoms are itchy skin with some scabby patches, and some sort of boils. Some are complaining of some hair loss as well. I've not gotten complete reports yet, don't know if there have been any deaths. Not certain just what we are dealing with. We just can't figure out what is happening. And then there was the lightning strike on communications, hence why we couldn't answer your call. You said that you have people coming, I ...I am very glad of that."
Still growing, not fully accepting his explanation, Melody took a breath "Expect my first officer to join you shortly. Please give him your full co-operation so we can get this situation sorted out. Merlin out."
"I will do so, and thank you, Captain" Ransa signing out.
Melody turned to Caroline. "Do you believe him?"
“No, ” she answered. “That's very generic symptoms. I feel you put him on the spot and that's the best he could come up with. I mean I suppose lightning is only supposed to strike once but their level of technology they should have been able to avoid that.”
Melody nodded in agreement. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
OFF:
●●●● Captain Melody Jones
Commanding Officer
USS Merlin
●● Lieutenant Mathias McPhee
Chief Operations Officer
USS Merlin
○●● Lieutenant Commander Hayley Godding
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Merlin
●●● Save'ena Tillatix
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Merlin
○●● Lieutenant Commander Marbim Rejal
Executive Officer
USS Merlin
| 1st Lieutenant David Scarlet
Marine Company Commander
USS Merlin
((>>> Gunnery Sergeant Alexander Beck
Marine Sniper
USS Merlin
●●● Commander Caroline Miller
Chief Counselor
USS Merlin
Lance Corporal Pearl Bijoux
Marine
USS Merlin
