Some Answers and More Questions.

Posted on Tue Sep 29th, 2020 @ 1:17am by Captain Xalanth & Commander Doctor Farkas Vanth DVM/MD & Lieutenant Commander John Pearce & Lieutenant JG T'para
Edited on on Wed Sep 30th, 2020 @ 12:21am

4,157 words; about a 21 minute read

Mission: [ USS Shanghai] S1E8 Light of the past.
Location: Shanghai sickbay.
Timeline: MD003 1400 hrs

Xalanth winced again as he and the new Chief Medical Officer arrived outside the ship’s sickbay. Two security officers armed with the TR-900 rifle were outside who stood to attention as a nurse approached the two of them with a scanner. “Sorry captain we have to give you a scan before you can…” She began before Xalanth held up his hand. “I know the operating procedures for dealing with collective artifacts ensign I did help write them.” He said politely as he let the Andorian finish her scan. “How’s the Orion?”

“Scarred sir. She’s in ward three along with the team looking after her. Doctor Vanth and Doctor T’para are in quarantine trying to figure out how the artifact works.” The nurse explained as she checked on the results. “You two are fine.” She said as the security guard opened the door. “Oh, welcome to sickbay Doctor Pearce.” She added as the two stepped inside.

“Sorry about all this doctor I know this won’t have been the first day you were expecting.” The captain said.

“If there’s anything I’ve learned in all my years in medicine it’s to expect the unexpected,” Pearce said. “and it’s not my first day here in sickbay,” he added with a grin. “It’s my second…”

“Well, the Orion’s this way.” Xalanth said heading to one of the sickbay’s wards. Stepping through the doors the doors he gave a polite nod to the nurse who was checking on the Orion. “Doctor Pearce would you like to lead the questioning?” The captain asked politely.

“Since I am not yet quite up to speed on everything that’s going on here, I will let Doctor Vanth do the questioning,” Pearce answered after a moment. “At least in the beginning, anyway.”

“Vanth is dealing with the collective item behind the quarantine area. Just us I’m afraid. Can you replicate some Orion anti-pheromones while I begin the questioning? My species has a very bad reaction to them.” Xalanth said asking the doctor.

“We should be able to come up with something to help you,” Pearce said. “I will need a DNA sample from you before I can do anything though.”

“No need doctor it’s already on my medical file…” Xalanth began before his eyes focus. His acute sense of smell barely had to time to smell the blood before the attending nurse fell to the floor, blood pouring from her slit neck. The captain’s hand shot to his phaser, but before he could draw, he let out a screech of pain as a thin needle blade smashed into his wound. The Orion who was now crouching on the bed like a predator animal gave an evil looking smile as her hand warped and appeared to form into the barrel of a gun. Without saying a word, a phaser shot sped towards him and the doctor that only the training burned into his brain by the legion allowed him to dodge as he knocked Pearce behind one of the biobeds.

He could already taste the blood-forming in his mouth and feel his heart pounding. She’d covered the blade with Orion pheromones.

John had never seen someone move quite as fast as the CO did – especially for someone his size. A size that quickly became apparent as the captain slammed into him, knocking him behind the nearest biobed. Once he had recovered from the impact, he pulled himself into a crouch, then opened a storage drawer in the bed’s base and fumbled around for a hypospray. When he found it, he quickly snapped a vial of sedative into it in case he needed to sedate the Orion woman once again.

Xalanth hand gripped his phaser though he could feel his neck tightening and blood was falling from his mouth. He took another shot at the Orion who dodged it as if it were nothing. =/\= Captain to security. Red level emergency in the sickbay =/\= Xalanth said as he tapped his commbadge. “Doctor I’m going to need that antidote as soon as possible. “He said his breathing problems quickly becoming obvious.

The Orion turned from her target and strode over to the door. Ripping of the door sensors she began fiddling with the mechanics causing the light to begin to fade.

Carefully (so as not to call attention to what he was about to do) Pearce slowly moved toward the Orion. Then he quickly pressed the hypospray against her exposed thigh and emptied the contents of the vial into her. Under ordinary circumstances the hypospray’s contents were strong enough to render a normal humanoid unconscious – but these were hardly ordinary circumstances. John then quickly retreated to the relative safety of the biobed and waited to see what the Orion’s reaction would be.

If the sedative had any effect on the Orion it didn’t show it as she continued her work. With a crackle, the forcefield fell and she stepped into the main room of the sickbay.

“Doctor! I really need that antidote before my secondary brain takes over.” The lizard hissed through his swollen throat as blood fell from his lips.

Seeing that the sedative had very little effect on the Orion and that her attention was firmly focused on her task, Pearce quickly moved over to the medical synthesizer and began to program an antidote to the female Orion’s pheromone. “I’ll have something for you in just a minute, captain…” Pearce said.

Xalanth nodded as he spat out some of the blood that was filling his mouth. He was a right mess.

It didn’t take John long to create the serum that would counteract the Orion woman’s pheromones and he quickly loaded another hypospray. He then turned to the captain. “This should do the trick,” he said as he pressed the hypospray against the captain’s rough skin and activated it.

The ship’s lizard captain spat out a glob of blood and flem, but he still did smile as he felt his throat loosen. His arm was still gripping the phaser that he was keeping pointed at the door. “Doctor check the nurse.” He said through his wheezing voice.

Pearce quickly moved over to where the fallen nurse lay and immediately began to scan her. “She’s still alive but just barely…” He said to Xalanth. Then he called out to some of the other medical personnel “Help me get her onto a bed.” Once this was done, he quickly managed to stop the blood flowing from the wound in her neck. He knew this was only the first step in the procedures that he hoped would save her life.

---

In the quarantine bay of sickbay T'para was whistling a Vulcan tune as she and the doctor finished off the last of the necessary gear they’d need for their test. Looking over to the other side of the shield she spoke politely to the Caninoid. “Everything’s okay on this end is the program ready to go?” She asked her colleague

“I’m just accessing the scans from Administrator Oraabo’s last physical now. I had to go through some convoluted bureaucracy to get to them.” Vanth looked up from hir PADD and smiled weakly, hir tail gave a slight twitch betraying hir frustration with the process. “Just a few moments.”

T'para nodded as she double checked all the equipment on her end. If this all went well maybe they’d be able to get this all fixed. Having her body back to the way it had been would be a comfort. The tail was still being a problem.

Amiri finished setting up the program, “Computer, activate program ‘It’s Alive!’ one.” The simulation of the Administrator – with a few festive October additions related to Mary Shelly’s book – most importantly with the 99.999% accurate facsimile of his brain. “All set here.”

“Okay let’s see what we can……” T'para began before with the press of a button the program began. For what felt like a moment that held for hours nothing happened before – with a blinding bright flash – the orb burst into life. A white murky light shone around the room as the orb began to spin. “Well looks like that worked.” T'para said a grin forming on her face.

Doctor Vanth shielded hir eyes at the flash. Then s/he held up hir favorite medical tricorder taking readings. “The orb has contacted the sim-brain. I’m not detecting any signs of life from it, yet, whatever this thing is, it sure seems to be non-biological.” S/he adjusted a few settings on the tricorder. “Do you have any suggestions on how to continue?”

“Maybe we should…” T'para began before one of the orbs of light shone across the hybrid. At once the orb stopped spinning as the beam focused on her. It moved up or down before pausing the light beam morphed into a holographic replica of the hybrid.

“I.D. confirmed second Servitor T'para of Species 3259 and Species 5618. Shall I begin assimilation protocols.” the hologram spoke.

Without even thinking, T'para screamed out loud. “No! No assimilation.”

“Very well. How should I proceed?” the hologram asked.

“A. What are you would be a start.” T'para said to her pale imitation before looking over at Vanth. “Are we getting any energy reading from this?”

The Caninoid doctor checked hir tricorder. “Hold on, my tricorder is having difficulties making heads or tails of the data it’s receiving.” S/he jabbed at some of the controls and flipped some toggles. “Give me a moment for me to look over the scans, so-far, manually.”

Sadly, for the doctor, the hologram started up immediately. “I am Ovidian genetic modification device 23067 assigned to.” It spoke before it started flickering before continuing. “Error! This device has suffered damage. Systems corruption at 79% percent. Memory unit corruption at 23%. Power source at 17%.” It said coldly.

Before T'para could say anything, the lights began to flicker.

“What the…” The hybrid began before the forcefields began to flicker and fade.

Doctor Vanth squinted and pressed hir ears flat against hir head. Lifting hir free arm in a protective stance s/he did hir best to shield hir eyes. Both hir ears, and eyes hurt. S/he wasn’t sure what was going on, s/he’d felt for sure their plan should have worked. S/he couldn’t understand why it hadn’t.

The medical tricorder still in hir other paw-hand, the ‘dog-tor’ continued to take scans and recordings.

With a crackle, the forcefield faded as the Orion woman stepped through. T'para’s hand went to her phaser, but she was too slow as a metal spike ruptured through her shoulder sending the hybrid to the ground letting out a cry of pain.

With cold dead eyes, the Orion drew a needle knife from her wrist as she lunged towards the Caninoid in an inhuman burst of speed.

Vanth’s attention was drawn away from the orb, startled by the flashing lights, but just as quickly hir nose told hir something was wrong. In the modern age of starships and replicators the scent of blood was rarely a good thing. Wheeling to discover the green femme fatale, with a deafening howl, Vanth’s instincts partially took over. S/he lunged at similarly inhuman speed. Performing an extremely uncomfortable insta-change in mid-air – to make a smaller, faster target – the Caninoid latched onto the green assassin’s wrist.

Tasting nothing but cold metal, though still managing to leave some nice tooth marks, the now-quadruped doctor used hir momentum to follow through and swing around. Landing and skidding to the floor, Vanth launched hirself again, a surge of adrenaline helping push through the pain of hir faster-than-normal shape-change. Instantly lunging again, s/he lept into the air with an ear-piercing snarl. Landing on the greenie’s back, the Caninoid doctor’s claws dug in as s/he closed the gap with two to three steps and gnashed hir teeth into the warm pulsing flesh of the creature’s neck.

Despite the blood that flowed from the Orion’s back she said nothing appearing to not even breathe. Her right hand began moving and changing as the five-fingered hand turned into the barrel of a terrific looking bio-gun. Her long nails grew even longer as she began to stab into the flesh of the Caninoid as she tried to throw the doctor from her back.

Adrenaline still coursing through hir, Vanth held firm able to exert heroic pressure as instinct only told hir to protect: protect T'para, protect ship, protect ‘pack’. From somewhere outside of hirself, Amiri heard strange noises, something s/he’d never heard before. Driven by the assumption they were cries of pain from the Orion gorgon, the doctor merely clamped down harder. Digging hir claws deeper into her back, the canine-like being lept off the hag; hir momentum carrying hir up and over and allowing hir to tear at the jugular of hir assailant. Finally hearing the sound of ripping flesh as Vanth relived the large bite of green meat and blood from the body of the Orion.

Landing semi-gracefully, Vanth spat out the bloody flesh, and huffed a sigh of relief while s/he waited for what passed for the fiend’s brain to register the fatal wound, and collapse.

If the doctor had expected the Orion to be down, she was very much mistaken. The hole in the Orion’s neck left by the furious attack began to knit together before the very eyes of Caninoid. She stood back up both of her hands turning into phasers that fired solid beams at the Caninoid sending Vanth flying backward.

T'para’s head was still throbbing as she faded in and out of unconscious. She could see the doctor and the Orion fighting in flashes as her body felt like it was giving up on the hybrid. The orb rolled into her vision its surface humming with a bright blue glow.

“Get up Second Servitor T'para of Species 3259 and Species 5618.” Thisbe voices echoed in her mind like a distant memory floating in from the past. “You still have work to do.”

With that T'para felt her body rise from the floor as the orb was suddenly in her hand. “Enough!” She yelled in a voice not her own. The Orion turned from Vanth a look of fear on her face. It was the last thing she ever saw as a beam of bright light burst from the orb and shot to the Orion. The green-skinned woman screamed as her body began to mort, melt and grow as she vanished as resembling anything seen in this galaxy.

OOC: Both posts are now resumed.

Xalanth burst into the quarantine room with a team of security officers. His yellow eyes were that of panic as T'para was levitating in the room the orb hovering between her two hands. The moment his eyes locked on her it seemed to break the trance she appeared to be in as she collapsed to the floor. The orb fell as well shattering into a million tiny pieces before it even hit the ground.

“We need medical personnel in here!” the lizard yelled as his men had cleared the room. “Where’s the…” he began before a slight squash on his boot made him look down. He didn’t need to be told that it was primordial slime he’d stepped in. His eyes darted to his mate who he ran to. She was breathing slowly as if she was completely tired.

Vanth stood hunched and barely conscious, panting, and hir heart racing. Hir mind raised. This wasn’t the first-time s/he’d encountered a rapid healing being. S/he had to try something different, something drastic. S/he had to protect. Though s/he was loath to do it, perhaps s/he could find a way to beam the wench out into space. It would be a long and tortuous death, where the blow to the jugular should have been quick if-not painless. Vanth hirself might get in the…

Vanth winced and ducked hir head trying to shield hir eyes as white-hot beam burst forth. Once it dissipated Amiri ventured to gaze out again. The green creature was gone. It was finished. The beast-doctor collapsed in a heap. Hir own injured suddenly screaming out at hir as the adrenaline began to dissipate from hir system. S/he whined softly as s/he attempted to return to hir paws, gazing about for someone to help hir.

Vanth knew s/he would not be able to return to hir bipedal form for some time. S/he hoped s/he could gain access to a commbadge with its universal translator soon.

T'para’s head felt like the inter-Klingon imperial opera team had been practicing in her head. She smiled as her eyes fell upon the lizard who’s soul she shared as he helped her to her feet.

“What happened?” Xalanth asked her.

“I’m not……” T'para said before her eyes fell on the fallen Caninoid. Freeing herself from the lizard her doctor training took over as she hurried over. “Vanth can you hear me?” She called grabbing a medkit from one of the security team.

The Caninoid doctor was still in hir quadruped form and could not speak. S/he let out one long note from hir nose as s/he hefted a sigh. Reaching out with hir mind s/he thought, ~Is everyone else all right? ‘Protect. Only protect. Did I?… It doesn’t hurt yet… just… rest…for a moment…~

“I’m not sure what happened, but she’s gone. Just hold still while we get you on a stretcher so we can get you patched up.” T'para said using the bio patches and the medical kit to stop the bleeding.

Vanth didn’t know it, but s/he was slowly slipping into shock, and if s/he passed out right now s/he might never wake up again… at least not on this plane. ~em’uh’kay lemme’elp,~ even telepathically hir words were slurring together. S/he struggled to try and get up.

“Stay still, doctor’s orders.” T'para said as one of the crew handed her a transporter beacon set to head straight into the emergency ward biobed for immediate surgery. “I’m going to beam you to the ward so we can fix you up.”

Doctor Vanth’s eyes shot open, ~NO!~ ‘shouted’ unguarded, so even non-telepaths might hear; at the same time s/he yelped in fear for effect. ~Deathly ‘allergic.’ Please don’t. Can’t.~ the Caninoid explained solely to the Vulcan telepath again.

T'para had more than enough in her mind to know what to do. “Go get a stretcher!” She yelled to one of the security men.

Xalanth was busy helping the security team collect up the remains of the Orion female and the orb. His heart sank at all of this. Now any hope of helping the people on the colony was gone.

=/\= Captain we have a situation in the cargo bay. =/\= came his commbadge.

The lizard tapped it giving a =/\= Yes! =/\= not bothering to hide his frustration.

=/\= Sir patient zero appears to have come round. She’s screaming for a doctor. =/\=

Vanth groaned on the floor. S/he felt useless just lying there unable to help. S/he tried to get up and wanted to offer assistance, but when s/he tried to return to hir bipedal form, s/he failed. Hir injury must be too savere for hir ability to work. S/he yelped and whimpered pathetically. Soon enough however, the security officers came with the hover stretcher. With great difficulty and pain, s/he did manage to help hirself onto the platform. Trying to focus on hir breathing the wounded doctor felt hirself brought over to the nearest biobed. Once there, s/he managed to roll hirself onto the flat hard surface with great discomfort. S/he huffed and collapsed onto the biobed.

Once Pearce had gotten the nurse taken care of, he headed for the area where Vanth was. When he arrived, he immediately went to where Vanth lay on the biobed. “What happened?”

Doctor Vanth was barely coherent and not thinking straight, unsure presently of Pearce’s telepathic abilities, if he had them at all, s/he reasoned that his question implied permission. S/he reached out and touched his mind. ~Fought off. Orion wench. Done good. Protect.~

“S/he was attacked by the Orion as s/he tried to defend us. I guess [the Orion] was heavily genetically engineered.” T'para said as her training took over. “Vanth we’re going to give you something for the pain just lay still.”

“Three CCs Axonal should be a good start,” Pearce said as he quickly prepared a hypospray. “We can gradually add more later if it becomes necessary.”

T'para took the hypospray and injected the wounded officer. “We should get the wounds patched up.” She said indicating the deep stab wounds from the Orion. “We should run full sterilization of the damaged tissue as well we don’t know what was in her fingers.” The hybrid said as she got to work.

“I agree,” Pearce said, “I don’t know if she’s allergic to anything and right now we don’t have time to go into her medical history so we’re just gonna have to monitor her closely and hope for the best. Give her 4 CCs of Doxycycline for any possible infection.”

Doctor Vanth felt the room start to spin as the Axonol began to take effect. S/he began to feel quite dizzy and a little queasy, but s/he wasn’t sure how to communicate it to anyone. S/he moaned and squirmed, trying to cover hir eyes with hir forepaws. S/he wondered if s/he should have been given that on an empty stomach. Slowly, s/he began to make that retching noise dogs make in the middle of the night after you just put on clean white sheets.

Pearce heard the noise that Vanth was making and recognized it as a precursor to hir becoming sick. “3 CCs Dolasetron STAT” he said to the nurse. “Vanth is about to become sick.”

T'para slid a bowl under Vanth’s mouth just as the Caninoid stomach content emptied into the bowl. Placing a clean hand on Vanth’s head the hybrid physically said. “You okay in their doc?”

What came up was mostly bile. ~Guess that’s why they tell us not to give our patients prescription strength painkillers on an empty stomach.~

T'para checked that Vanth’s throat was clear and that air could still pass in and out. “Airways are clear Pearce.” she told the doctor.

Pearce nodded. “We’ll need to keep hir under close observation for a while just to be sure there aren’t any adverse reactions.”

T'para nodded as she watched Vanth’s life signs stabilize as the pain killers took effect. A good sign.

Vanth squirmed a bit, s/he licked hir chops… ~Perhaps the patient could benefit from some water and a biscuit to settle their stomach an help disperse the meds?~

T'para began hooking up a drip to get some fluids into Vanth as she continued her work to clean and heal the wounds subdermal regenerator in hand her skill in the field showing.

One of the ship’s nurses walked in handing Pierce a PADD. “It appears all of the infected on the planet have regained their minds doctor. The captain is recommending we place them in cryostasis until a properly equipped medical ship can arrive.” the nurse said as she handed over the PADD.

Pearce studied the contents of the PADD for a long moment before responding. “I agree,” he answered finally. “After all we’re still not sure what the long-term effects of this will be – or even what really caused it for that matter, so caution is definitely warranted.” He then picked up another PADD that was lying on a nearby desk and scanned it. “According to my information, the USS Mercy is on her way as we speak. She’s an Olympic-class hospital ship and is much better equipped for their treatment than we are. Their projected arrival is approximately twelve hours.”

T'para nodded in reply. “Let’s get to it.” she responded feeling a great relief of her shoulders.


OFF:

Captain Xalanth
USS Shanghai CO
USS Shanghai

&

Lieutenant JG T'para
Medical Officer
USS Shanghai

&


Commander John Pearce, MD
Chief Medical Officer
USS Shanghai

&

Command Farkas A. Vanth, D.V.M., M.D.
Chief Medical Officer
U.S.S. Saigon
(On temporary assignment – U.S.S. Shanghai)

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