Finishing the fight

Posted on Thu Nov 21st, 2024 @ 2:23pm by Lieutenant Alph & Lieutenant Rune Thul & Doctor Intharia T'Zor & The Object & Navigator Korusca & SubLieutenant Attania Viren
Edited on on Thu Nov 21st, 2024 @ 2:26pm

977 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: DownTime [1]
Location: Shuttlebay, USS Excalibur
Timeline: 1425 - MD02 (After 'Commandments')

Thul, Alph, Viren and T'Zor had made it to main engineering in less than five minutes, the devices were quickly recognised. Alph had worked with the technology before, they were confident they could operate it. As they walked he recounted to them how one was used by a rogue faction of Starfleet Marines who kidnapped a Founder Ambassador aboard Starbase 51 in the Gamma Quadrant. It was saving the Founder from the fate that the device threatened that finally cemented lasting relations between the two powers, perhaps Oriath Velt's greatest triumph, although in truth Rovak had done most of the work.

Alph carried all four of the ring-shaped devices over his arms on his shoulders. Each was identical, around a meter in diameter. They had the look of heavy-duty starfleet technology, the sort of non-descript aesthetic designers gave to the experimental devices that were truly dangerous. They were deceptively heavy, weighing around 45kg each, but his mechanical strength made it a simple task. They approached the object, Korusca exited the shuttle to meet them, giving the object an appropriate wide berth.

"Greetings. Commander Flynn requested Ensign P'Lar's presence on the bridge, she beamed over a moment ago. She has relayed the plan to me. How may I assist?" Korusca asked.

Alph placed all four of the rings down so they could be rolled into position around 10 meters from the object, Thul had ordered caution after all. "The rings should be placed flat on the ground in cardinal directions around the object at a distance of approximately 750 centimeters."

Intharia gripped one of the rings firmly and began to roll it into position, staying as far away from the object as she could for as long as possible. When she reached position she looked to Korusca, "Could I please get your help lowering this one, navigator? I don't wish to drop it."

Korusca moved to help the Asari Doctor, and together they lowered the device gently. Meanwhile, Sublieutenant Viren managed one herself, positioning it between the object and the runabout.

Thul took one of the rings and rolled it into place at one of the empty points. He was still reeling from his ordeal at the Commander's hand, though he was managing to keep himself aware of what the team was doing and talking about.

Once all four were in position, Alph tapped the ring nearest him with his foot, and a small interface emerged from the outer edge and floated up to where he could reach it. He began to tap commands into its surface.

While she waited for Alph to do the needful, Attania Viren watched dispassionately. The devices were fascinating but there wasn't much she could use from what she'd seen. Without warning, another sneeze came upon her, and she loosed it, unintentionally, all over the back of the object. She stood up straight and held her hand over her face, frozen in horror. She had taken the Lieutenant's advice not to touch it seriously. She wondered if they'd even notice?

Thari was in that moment glad there weren't any humans present, she'd always found their need to comment on such bodily functions strange.

"Bless you," Rune said from where he stood observing the rings as Alph worked. He chuckled a moment later, and that really helped him get fully in the present, where he belonged.

The lights began to flicker, and suddenly died. The splatter on the back of the object from Viren's sneeze seemed to glow and sear for a moment before disappearing. From within the object there was a subtle glow that seemed to provide all the illumination in the room except for the small light coming from the Hou Yi's inside, shining dimly out through the cockpit window. The lights returned before anyone had a chance to comment on it. Across the room, the strips of lights seemed to pulsate, creating a wave effect as they shut down in order and switched back on a moment later. The wave moved towards the object.

Suddenly a voice came from the object, a grating synthetic staccato, it sounded exclamatory but also somehow casually conversational. "GENETIC MATERIAL EXTRAPOLATED." It started, shaking in place. As it spoke, the lights on its head flashed.

As soon as it began to speak, Thari removed and activated her tricorder, taking what scans she could of the thing, even as she took cautious steps backwards, pulling Korusca with her when he failed to move.

"INITIATE CELLULAR RECONSTRUCTION!" It shouted with a demented excitement in its strange intensifying monotone, to whose benefit was not apparent. It was subtle at first, but within moments the damage on its surface had healed. The faint light within it faded. The shuttlebay lights returned to normal.

"Well, this is not good." Rune commented. He wondered if he should attempt to use telepathy on it. Since they knew nothing except that it is the worst enemy the Commander's people ever knew, didn't help.

"IDENTIFY YOURSELVES. IDENTIFY!" The Object shouted at them, its lights blaring with the syllables. A blue light shone from its central stalk. It gave the impression of a central eye, spinning 360 degrees to observe them all in only a moment.

T'Zor was silent. She'd let one of the officers figure out what to say.

So it couldn't identify them. "On behalf of the Commander, I warn you to remain where you are." Rune said, he hoped that the rings offered some form of protection to their users. He decided it would be very important not to reveal the Federation and Starfleet, or this universe to the enemy for who knows what it might do next.

Not wanting to make any sudden moves in the event he startled whatever it was, Alph used his internal systems to silently activate his combadge. He opened a channel to Commander Flynn to keep her abreast of the situation.

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