Contactus Aegrorum

Posted on Sat Jan 12, 2019 @ 6:59pm by Lieutenant Nicole Anderson & Fleet Captain Rhea Kennit & Lieutenant Penelope Naroot & Lieutenant Arashi Tanaka Mr. & Lieutenant Cassandra Kennings & Lieutenant JG Camille Lévesque PhD & Senior Chief Petty Officer Samantha Summers & Lieutenant Samantha Raylen

4,122 words; about a 21 minute read

Mission: Plaga Navis
Location: USS Victory

[Bridge, USS Victory]

On the main view screen, the Maharshi Krishnatreya was now visible. At 845 meters long, the ship was a long, ungainly looking monstrosity of a vessel. Twin sets of nacelles provided propulsion and were mounted along its stern. An upper level comprised of 5 decks ran the length of the heavy freighter providing room for crew and passengers, with six enormous rectangular cargo holds were mounted slung from the heavy structural supports which ran beneath the crew decks and provided the stability needed to carry the enormous amounts of cargo and mass which the ship was designed to carry.

It was, in the Captain’s unspoken opinion, quite an ugly ship to behold.

It was also traveling at warp 7. And showed no indication that anyone was aware the Victory had arrived in response to the distress call sent out.

“Any response to our hails?” The Captain asked.

“Negative Captain," Cassandra said from communications. "We haven’t been able to raise anyone since receiving the distress signal. I'm not picking up any internal comm signals within the ship, as well."

The message detailed a viral illness rampaging through the freighters passengers and crew, and even as she asked the next question Kennit already knew what the answer would be. “Life signs?”

Cassandra checked her readouts and shook her head sadly. “None Captain.”

“Damn. It’s a ghost ship. Running on its last course heading without anyone aboard to stop her. Which is going to make it damn tedious to get aboard and determine what’s happened...” the Captain said, her tone of voice somewhat annoyed.

“I’m just glad they didn’t stop anywhere and contaminate anyone else,” said Camille from her station.

Kennit let out a huff of breath. “I don’t want to attempt to disable their warp drive. I am not in such a hurry to get over there that I’m going to risk a transport at warp. We need another way to drop that thing out of warp. It doesn't have a shuttle bay, its shuttles are all secure in their dock slings so we can’t try to connect one of our shuttles and board that way. Let’s see about hacking her computers via remote access and take control from here. Lt. Naroot...can you crack their security and link our helm to theirs?”

Penny tilted her head, thinking. "Yeah, I can give it a shot." She brought the ship alongside it, matching the other ship's speed and closed out her nav boards, spreading her ops boards across her station. Her hands flew as she began sending out signals. "It's like flirting," she said. "Sure, they don't want to give you their comm frequency at first, but if you distract them with enough witty banter..." her console beeped and she grinned. "They agree to let you buy them a drink." She kept working fast. "And after you two get to know each other..." A tremor went through the ship as both warp fields collapsed against each other and the ships came to a stop. She let out a sigh and sat back, stretching. "And then you rest."

[Sickbay, USS Victory]

"Morgue air system has been isolated and medical supplies are stocked and ready," Doctor Osika said, handing Nicole a padd.

"Thank you, Dasha," Nicole said, going over the padd. She checked the chronometer and shook her head. She was regretting having Maggie join her the night before. Nicole could wash away a hangover and get by on a few hours sleep, but Maggie was younger and newer at the game.

To her credit, Maggie was only a minute late when she wobbled into Sickbay. Her face was ashen and her eyes were sunken with extremely dark circles and she was squinting at the lights, but she straightened up and picked up a tricorder.

"Nurse," Doctor Osika said, looking her over. "Are you...all right?"

"I'm fine," Maggie said, taking another step, but that was one too many and her knees gave way.

"Ooookay, over here," Nicole said, half carrying Maggie to a bed. She helped her up and put her in a slightly reclined position.

"Please...not so loud," Maggie said.

Nicole went to the replicator and punched in an order. She came back with a tall glass and a clothespin. "All right," she said, "put this on your nose and drink this down in one shot."

"What is it?" Maggie said, weakly.

"Tonic," Nicole said, not waiting and putting the pin over Maggie's nose and giving her the glass. Maggie glanced at Nicole, then tentatively put it to her lips and took a sip. She choked and started to pull the glass away but Nicole said, "no, no, one shot. There we go," and held it to her mouth, tilting it back and making her drink the whole thing, Maggie's hands fluttering and her feet kicking like a frustrated child.

Maggie coughed and sputtered as Nicole pulled the glass away and she sank down and curled up into the fetal position on the biobed. Nicole clucked her tongue in disappointment. "Wimp," she said, but smiled a bit.

Suddenly everyone stopped as they all felt the ship drop roughly out of warp. "That's our cue," Nicole shouted. "S'tal, I need five hazmat suits in the transporter room five minutes ago. Dasha, Joseph, you're with me. Doctor P'k'ala, wake Maggie in two hours and put her to work."

A chorus of "yes, Doctor," came back to her and she grabbed a medkit, heading out the door. "Anderson to Lieutenants Raylen and Tanaka, report to Transporter Room Two."

“Acknowledged.” Came Raylen’s response.

"Right away, Doctor, I will be there shortly," Arashi said.

"Alpha team, I need a decon station set up in a runabout as a quarantine buffer before we get back!" she shouted as she walked out the door.

[Bridge, USS Victory]

“Doctor Anderson. Is your away team prepared for beaming over? Have all contamination precautions been taken?” Kennit’s asked over the comm.

"Aye, Captain," she said over the comm. "We've got hazmat suits ready, and a runabout prepped as a decontamination and quarantine box on our return. Chance of contamination should be virtually nonexistent."

“Should be?” the Captain echoed. “I don’t like the sound of that. Whatever is over there killed everyone on board. Should be isn’t good enough.”

There was a pause as a sigh came over the comm system. "I'll rephrase," she said. "Unless this virus can penetrate the runabout's hull, in which case we have far greater issues, the ship is safe. We are taking every precaution and I have multiple measures in place to protect the ship. We will be collecting samples, and testing the air quality. Once I know enough to ensure everyone's safety, we will beam back to the runabout for quarantine. If you don't want to risk the full team, I will go alone. Thoughts?"

“Thoughts?” The Captain echoed yet again. “My thoughts are that it would be a hell of a lot less trouble to just put two quantum torpedoes into that ship and move on. Use all precautions and do not screw up.”

"See?" Nicole's voice said quietly to someone near her. "And you wanted to go with screwing up."

"I vos not avare ve had ze option," Doctor Osika's voice said.

"We'll check in shortly," Nicole quipped. "Anderson out."

[Transporter Room 2, USS Victory]

Nicole walked in about the same time Crewman S'tal had arrived. "Suit up," she said to the two medical officers with her. "As soon as we're all ready, we'll beam over." She stood to the side with her staff, inspecting their suits and slipping them on.

Upon arrival, Sam was handed a specialized hazmat suit. After a moment to confirm that the suit was intact with no weak points, tears, or failed seals she quickly began to pull the suit on and secure the seals which would prevent whatever contagion was present on the other ship from infecting her as well.

Arashi walked into the transporter room with his katana in hand. "I am here, Doctor," he said.

"Fantastic," Nicole said. "Put your epididymis extension down and check your hazmat suit. As Arashi began to inspect his suit, she finished putting hers on and began to seal it up. "Can everyone hear me," she said as she activated her communicator inside the suit.

"The three people already in the suit nodded. Once Arashi had his own, she checked again and he nodded. "All right. Nurse Cannivali and I are beaming over first. Once we give clearance, there rest of you will follow."

"Yes, Doctor," Arashi said from inside his suit.

Sam just nodded, not really seeing any point in speaking and wondering with a bit of nervous alarm why the Security guy was carrying a razor sharp sword with his hazmat suit to beam over to investigate a ship contaminated with a contagious and lethal unknown viral agent which had killed everyone on board.

Nicole and her nurse stepped onto the transporter pad and she took a deep breath. "Energize."

[Sickbay, Maharshi Krishnatreya]

When the transporter beam released them, the first part of the away team found themselves as planned in the freighters medical bay. The lights were on, the environmental systems were operational. If not for the seven bloated, rotting corpses lying on treatment beds and floor it might have seemed normal.

Nicole took a breath of recycled air in her suit and opened her medkit, pulling out her tricorder. "Joseph, start taking air samples," she said. When no response was forthcoming, she looked over and saw his face going whiter than hers through his faceplate. "Joseph? Are you with me?"

"I...." he swallowed hard as his saliva glands kicked into high gear, lubricating his throat in preparation for--

"Hold it in, man," she said, grabbing him and steering him towards an empty station. She pulled out the chair and sat him down, making him face the terminal. "Take a few breaths, focus on the screen. Access the medical files," she said. Behind them, the bodies were everywhere: the biobeds, the floor, various stations. Some were stretched out, dying while waiting for help, others were in a heap, dying where they stood, trying to beat whatever it was that was killing them. With the copious amounts of blood, urine, feces and other bodily fluids everywhere, she was thankful to whatever Gods were still out there that their suits wouldn't allow smell to penetrate.

She opened his analysis kit and pulled out an air sample extractor, attaching a vial. She let it extract a sample while she gave the nearest corpse a visual inspection. Red rashes were all over its body. Lesions were present on many spots and the body was bloated beyond recognition. Vascular damage was extreme and yet she thought it looked familiar.

Her scanner went off and she scanned the sample vial, sighing. "Anderson to Victory," she said, activating her combadge, "we are in Sickbay. It's not pretty. This virus is airborne and so far does not look like it's a threat to our hazmat suits. The second team can beam to the bridge. The sooner we get the security lockouts down and the computer data transferred, the better. I'll have samples collected shortly."

“Acknowledged.” The Captain answered. “Stay in contact and use extreme caution.”

[Bridge, Maharshi Krishnatreya]

The transporter beam deposited three more onto the bridge. Doctor Osika looked around and gasped. "Бог захистить нас," she said, crossing herself. Death wasn't clean. When a body died, all of its normal failsafes to keep what's inside it inside cease. Everything empties out. The bacteria inside immediately begin to break it down, and decay takes over as part of nature's own recycling. It is a smelly, disgusting, awful sight, and no doubt part of the reason most cultures have rituals preparing bodies so that others aren't exposed to it.

However no one had prepared these bodies, and Osika was supremely glad she couldn't smell anything. She looked over at her two companions. "Ve need computer access and security access," she said. "I vill attend to the bodies."

Arashi nodded and then got to work. "Kuso, kore wa kokode wa yoku miemasen. (damn, this does not look good in here.)" He said in Japanese as he looked over the scene before settling in to work at the computer. He typed in the code to get the computer working but it was giving him grief. "Damn it all!" He shouted but he kept working. "This is not what I signed on for. Please work." He kept typing in commands only for the computer to refuse them. "Computer, security override access Tanaka-Alpha-01." He said to the computer with no small amount of frustration. "Access granted." The computer chimed and Arashi turned to Doctor Osika. "What files do you need?" He asked.

"All senior officer's logs and all medical records for the past two months," Osika said. "Ve also need all security protocols removed so that ve can access everything on board as needed and vatever ports they have been to recently."

From the merchant ship's bridge, over the comm Raylen reported, “I’ve successfully linked the main computer to the Victory. The upload of the ship’s navigational data is underway. We’ll be able to check and verify everywhere they’ve been, everywhere they stopped and off loaded or on loaded cargo and passengers.”

Osika opened up her sample case, taking samples of the air, the blood of most of the victims, skin samples, hair samples, and samples of the various deposits of bio waste around the bridge. She was careful and meticulous as she sealed each vial, replacing it in her case one at a time.

"Computer give me the files for all logs and medical records for senior officers for the past two months. Also remove all security protocols, access code Tanaka-Alpha-one." The computer beeped and responded. "All pertinent records are able to be accessed from any console as needed. Security protocols removed and access to the ship has been restored." Arashi smiled and got up. Strange to be smiling amidst all this death. May whatever god or gods you believe in guide you to your peaceful rest. he said to himself. "You can access whatever you need from whatever console you have available. Security protocols have been removed. The information that you have asked for is here." He said as he stretched.

[Sickbay, Maharshi Krishnatreya]

"How're you holding up, Joey?" Nicole said as she placed another sealed vial into her sample kit.

"Holding on," Nurse Cannivali said. "Looks like the folks on the bridge got the computer unlocked and a link established. I'm transferring the files from the ship's CMO to the Victory's computer now."

"Start scanning for any and all references to encounters with alien species, or unidentified disease," Nicole said. "See if you can establish patient zero."

"Yes, Doctor," Cannivali said.

Nicole finished filling up her sample vials and walked over to the replicator, sizing it up. "Anderson to Raylen" she said.

“Raylen here.” the Engineer answered.

"I need three things," Nicole said. "First, I need a file transferred with all the replicator requests for the pasts three weeks and a list of the fifty most requested consumables and fifty most requested non-consumables. Second, I need a level one diagnostic of the replicator system. Third, unless the diagnostic indicates otherwise, have Mister Tanaka choose a random replicator in a low security area that could have been tampered with, and take it apart. You've got one hour."

“Acknowledged.” Sam replied. She was rather uncomfortable aboard this dead ship. The bodies were hard to look at, the evidence of the lethal virus which had taken 87 lives was unnerving and a little hard on the stomach. Thankful for the suits enclosed air system, she was nonetheless ready to get the hell out of there. “Transferring the replicator logs won’t be hard to do. Tanaka may need more than an hour to get a unit taken apart though if he’s searching for evidence of tampering...”

"Then I suggest you assist him," Nicole said. "One hour, Anderson out."

She closed her sample case and left it at her feet. "Anderson to Sickbay, beam the sample case directly in front of me to the clean room in the cargo bay."

“Sickbay here. Initiating transport.” The case vanished a moment later in a sparkle of energy.

As the sample case disappeared, she turned and picked up her medkit from one of the clean spots on the floor. "Joey, think you feel up to assisting me?" she said.

"I...can try," he said.

"Let's see what the morgue has for us," Nicole said. "Hopefully some of the bodies are still in stasis."

An instant later, the Captain's voice came through over the comm. “What is your status over there Doctor? I am informed that you just had a case of samples sent to the cargo bay.”

"Yes, Captain," Nicole said. "My staff should be setting it up for analysis now. We're exploring a few avenues of contagion from encounters with unknown life forms to replicator malfunctions. Our investigation should be another hour, and then we'll be able to begin beaming over to the quarantine runabout."

“What about the threat to Victory from this unknown virus?” Kennit asked.

"So long as the samples are kept inside the lab in the cargo bay, the Victory is safe," Nicole said. "And I have about five layers of buffer established to ensure the crew stays safe. Just do me a favor and stay out of the secondary module and let us all breathe a bit easier. A skeleton crew in there wouldn't be a bad idea either."

“I leave it to your discretion Doctor. Give orders for the cargo Bay Area as you deem appropriate. You have my consent.” Kennit answered.

"I'd suggest using phasers to completely atomize the entire vessel and everything on board," Nicole said. "We don't want to risk anyone investigating any remains."

“If you want it atomized, we’ll need to use something with a bit more of a punch.” Kennit answered. “I’m sure we can find something in the Victory’s arsenal which will prove adequate to the task. Once you’ve completed your investigation, we’ll handle the clean up.”

"Understood, Anderson out."

She walked into the ship's small morgue, her nurse right behind her. The bodies were here too, although there were fewer of them, but she suspected the three drawers they had were full. A quick inspection proved her correct. The three bodies inside were in far better shape than the ones left out to the elements, but they showed similar signs of distress. Red splotches all over their skin, subdermal eruptions, and discoloration around the chest, mouth and nostrils.

Two also had the telltale markings of an autopsy. "Computer," she said, "play chief medical officer's last logged entry regarding autopsies."

Chief Medical Officer's Log. The disease has spread throughout over 80% of the crew. We've had enough time left to send a distress call. We've attempted stalling the disease in stasis but it has progressed nonetheless. Natural antibodies seem completely useless. In fact, during my last examination, I couldn't find evidence of any antibodies being activated. This disease, whatever it is, seems to bypass the body's immune system perfectly.

Nicole could hear the wheezing and struggle in the man's voice. She didn't know how old he was, but he sounded like an octogenarian who had just gone for a jog. *He's dying,* she realized. *He's infected, and he's dying, and he's still trying to solve this.* The weight of that hit her hard and she sat down in a free chair, listening.

I haven't been able to isolate the virus yet, but I'm getting close. I feel like I'm overlooking something obvious. This virus looks familiar, I swear I have seen it! [coughing/wheezing/gasping] At this point, it doesn't matter. Treating the symptoms hasn't helped. The autopsy of Lieutenant Sylvan shows the same as the rest: his internal organs have been ravaged. His lungs are scarred, his brain has lesions, his trachea and bronchial passages are destroyed. The rash on his chest was our first sign, but--[coughs and wheezes uncontrollably].

Nicole had never wanted to hug someone so badly. She looked around a the bodies, following his notes as he dictated them out. Finally, his voice failed him, and the room was quiet for several seconds, save for the sound of labored breathing.

If anyone hears this [pause] I hope you are wearing protection. Incubation so far has been anywhere from 36 to 48 hours. Once the onset of symptoms begins, progression is rapid and so far always fatal. I hope someone can...learn...[coughing] from this. Tell my daughter she did well on her gymnastics competition. I'm sorry I wasn't there for it.

After another few minutes of coughing and hacking, the log ended. Nicole was already beginning to form some theories, but there was going to be a lot of data to sift through before she had anything solid.

The next hour for her consisted of cutting into a few of the cadavers while the nurse took notes. She didn't have much more to go on than what the files would most likely say, but fresh eyes were always a good idea.


[Crew Mess Deck, Maharshi Krishnatreya]

The mess deck mercifully was free of bodies, which was at least easier to focus on getting the replicator unit pulled apart and assessed without the presence of dead bodies .

At least in Sam’s opinion anyway.

“I’m not finding any irregularities in this unit. Everything checks out.” She said.

He scanned the replicator with his tricorder. "Nothing to indicate any tampering either it looks like." Arashi said and continued scanning.

"Anderson to Tanaka," Nicole voice came over the comms.

"Yes lieutenant?" He responded as he continued to look over the replicator. He wasn't finding anything

"Anything to report?"

"We haven't found anything, no irregularities in the replicator that we were investigating. No signs of tampering, or reprogramming as far as we can tell." Arashi said and looked around the room "Either whoever was tampering with the replicators were caught before they had a chance to do anything or whatever happened had nothing to do with the replicators. I am going with the fact that whatever happened, the replicators were not used to do this."

"Damn," Nicole sighed. "All right, we need to get going. I'm not having us tear apart the whole ship and risk an accident. Report to the transporter room and we'll get started on quarantine procedures."

"Pack it up. We are getting out of here. Whatever happened here, we are not going to find out here." He said to Raylen and spoke into his comm badge. "Roger that. We are on our way." He programmed his tricorder to further analyze the readings that he took, just in case something came up that he didn't see. He grabbed his tool kit and waited for Raylen to get ready.

Slinging her toolkit over her shoulder, Sam answered “Never thought I’d be so ready to get off a ship. The sooner we’re out of here the better!”

"See you shortly. Anderson out."

[Transporter Room, Maharshi Krishnatreya]

Nicole and Joseph walked in to find the other three already there and waiting. "Sorry for the delay, we were waiting for a lift," she said. In truth, the first one had been...occupied. It took a few moments to find one that was clear.

"We're beaming over one at a time," she said. "I'll go first and make sure the decontamination chamber is operative. Once I give the signal, the next one of you can step up and be beamed over. You'll be beamed directly into the decon chamber where you will strip, shower, and then exit without your clothing into the living quarters. You can replicate fresh clothes and combadge there. I suggest something comfortable since we're going to be in quarantine for a bit. Once you're presentable, come to the flight deck and we'll beam over the next person. Please don't dawdle, as we want to get this over with as soon as possible. Questions?

Everyone shook their heads and Joseph looked longingly at the transporter pad.

"Then let's go home," she said, stepping onto the transporter pad. "Anderson to Victory, one to transport."

"Acknowledged," Penny said. She slaved the transporter controls into the Ops console and gave every iota of her not-inconsiderable attention to making sure they rematerialized exactly how the doctor wanted.

 

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