Task Force: Gamma

Davynn Qech · Graphics Chief Joined: 16 Jun 2009 Posts: 809

"Well, this just keeps getting better. I believe the controls were rerouted through engineering, that would probably be a good place to start."

Qech nodded, and looked back to Ensign Tay, sleeping fitfully on the floor. She gently removed his combadge and set it with the others. "I hate to leave him. But dragging him through the jefferies tubes is hardly an option. And with no power to the lifts..." She sighed. "We'll have to come back for him. I just hope the others aren't infected as well."

With the help of Lieutenant Zh'rel, Qech hoisted open the hatch once again and made to climb in behind the Andorian. "We know the tubes are crawling with this stuff" she said, turning to face Croft and Koester, "but it's everywhere. I suppose the best you can do is avoid touching your face if you get it on your hands. It seems to affect varied species differently."

Qech was relieved that Zh'rel hadn't showed any signs of symptoms yet, and could only attribute that to the hardy nature of the Andorians. But seeing how quickly Tay had fallen, she feared for the rest of her crewmates, all of which were at least half human. With a quick and supportive nod to her colleagues, she made her way back through the foul-smelling tubes, hoping that they'd be able to get communications back up in time.
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ArjimCalodan · Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 8:35 pm Post subject:

Calodan was laying on the floor, doing his best knocked out cold impression. The alien was still working on the console, but had taken to making sporadic glances at his prone form on the ground. Not desiring another smack to the head, he kept quite and still..but not entirely. As quietly as possible, he had been flexing and relaxing his wrists against the cord that bound them. While it had some serious tensile strength...it didnt seem to spring back to is original tightness..at least not completely.

After 10 minutes of stretching and releasing, he had finally worked enough slack that he thought he could at least put up a fight if this alien decided to grab at him.
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uvek · Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 9:03 pm Post subject:

Uvek looked to the screens on his left, showing a green light and the digital diagram of the main deflector. Power relays showed primed and he looked back to Lt. Solana and then the captain.

"Captain, we are ready to fire the depolarized Graviton beam at your command. If it functions as expected, a magnetic cascade will occur in the warp drive that will collapse any warp field bubble and for the duration of the residual energy bleed-off; approximately 30 minutes, they will not be able to engage the warpdrive."
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Live a life of action...not reaction.

Cory Drake · Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 10:13 pm Post subject:

Lt. Cory Drake
USS Hartington
Bridge

As Uvek and Solana worked together on a way to bring down the freighter's warp drive, Drake worked silently at his console, working to get the sensors past the ships shields to pick up anything.

Drake slammed his fist on the console, sighed, and then continued to work.

After a few minutes of tapping at the control panel, his eyes lit up.

"Finally, some information," Drake spoke to himself as he continued to gather it.

"Captain, scans are showing something here, it's not much, but ..." Drake fell silent for a short while, not believing what his readings were showing him.

"Sir, I may be mistaken here, but it looks like there is something on board with our crew members, I'm picking up a life sign other than our own people," Drake said. "Still trying to find out more, but it's tough sir. Scanners are on full and it's still barely getting through."
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Captain David Brennon · Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2010 12:18 am Post subject:

OOC: I'm going to post tomorrow after work. Banter if you like, but don't do anything to move the scene forward at this point. I have something in the wings for us.
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uvek · Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2010 1:07 am Post subject:

Uvek was impressed. He was impressed with Solana's expedient actions, her knowledge of the various emitters and transitional power relays. He was impressed by his Benzanite number two-man, Phell, and his ability to adapt and support him. He was impressed with the Hartington's crew overall.

Despite the flashing red lights, the dangerous situation, and the fear of losing the away team, they focused and worked together calmly, almost regally to save their lost comrades. The ship had truly been restored and power flew through her shield grid and over the phaser emitters, crackling with power, chomping at the bit to be released on the target. It was like a well-oiled Romulan warbird back during the Klingon conflicts when he was a young man. He had never really seen the Federation from this side of the fence, and it was impressive; a sign of the true strength of the Federation itself.

He poised to fire the graviton beam and waited for the captain.
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Live a life of action...not reaction.

Marek · Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2010 9:33 am Post subject:

Croft nodded to Koester as he motioned for him to enter, and climbed into the jefferies tube after the Commander. As he descended, he thought about how this was the first time he had been on an away mission with Qech. He pondered for a moment, then chuckled under his breath. Perfect time for a medical officer, so I guess I'll have to rethink my position on that one Although Qech had been nothing but an exemplary first officer since Croft had joined the crew, deep down he had questioned the concept of a Doctor in command. Now seeing Qech under pressure responding better than Croft, he had to admit, he had to surrender the last of those doubts. She was someone he could learn a lot from. He would have to if he was ever going to get a command of his own.
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Captain David Brennon · Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2010 9:31 pm Post subject:

ACTION

The Captain ordered Uvek to fire the graviton beam, which split the void between the two ships with a brilliant blue light. Aboard the freighter, the bulk of the away team was in the Jefferies Tube en route to Engineering and were shaken around the enclosed area violently for several seconds. In Engineering, Calodan is tossed around the deck near the feet of the alien, who gripped the console for support. The pulsing blue light of the Warp Core sped up for a moment before slowing again to an almost negligible hum. Based on the alien's movements, Calodan could see something was wrong. Back aboard the Hartington, the Captain watched as the intended results played out before his eyes.

***

Location: Main Bridge, USS Hartington

Captain Brennon nodded his approval but wasted little time in issuing his next set of commands.

"Lieutenant Uvek, we need to break through their shields, get our team back home. It's good that they're out of warp, but we can't beam through their shields. Lieutenant Drake, focus in on the aliens aboard that ship, we need to know how much danger our people are in until we can get them home. And someone get communications with the away team back up!"

***

Location: Jefferies Tube En Route to Engineering, Freighter Apollo

As soon as the shaking stopped, Lieutenant zh'Rel had her tricorder out, scanning the vicinity and looking for any information that could be useful to the team.

"It wasn't standard weapon's fire, I'm not really sure what it was at all Commander. Power readings are decreasing all over the ship though, I think you're right about Hartington trying to get us out of here -- getting rid of the combadges was smart. We're right next to Engineering now, I'm reading one Trill life sign and one... other signature. I can't get an exact read on it but according to these readings, it shares similarities with the virus-like behavior in our injured crewmen and with the substance on my hand."

***

Location: Engineering, Freighter Apollo

The alien slammed it's fists down against the console in frustration, letting loose an ear piercing warble that could be heard from inside the Jefferies Tube. Moments later, it turned towards Calodan, looking down upon the man as though having just seen him for the first time. It took one step towards the bound man, a viscous black liquid dripping from its hands. For the first time, Jim was able to see the face of the figure dead on. With features like that of a reflection from within a shattered mirror, the alien nearly resembled a human, though one terrifyingly distorted. Slowly, it took another step towards the Lieutenant, followed by another, and another...
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ArjimCalodan · Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2010 9:45 pm Post subject:

The alien's distorted features showed pure malice..and the black liquid on his hands definitely didnt look friendly. It was time to stop pretending and act...

As the creature started coming towards him, he swiveled his legs and kicked out...impacting both of the creatures knees. As it started to fall to him he rolled to the side and pushed himself to his knees with is barely loosened hands. The creature hit the deck hard with a loud hissing noise. Using his leverage and the time gained while the creature regrouped, Calodan fell back into a seated position and scooted across the deck to a wall, using his back pressed against it to get to his feet. Even with his hands tied in front of him..he had a fighting chance with his feet underneath him.

As the creature got to its feet and turned to face him...Calodan saw one of the maintenance hatches open across Engineering and the cerulean antennae of Lt. zh'Rel come through it. He had never been so happy to see another person his whole life. "Lieutenant, over here. I could use a hand!"
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uvek · Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2010 11:15 pm Post subject:

"Lieutenant Uvek, we need to break through their shields, get our team back home. It's good that they're out of warp, but we can't beam through their shields. Lieutenant Drake, focus in on the aliens aboard that ship, we need to know how much danger our people are in until we can get them home. And someone get communications with the away team back up!"

"Now Phell, FIRE!" Snapped Uvek at the captain's command. Phell punched the red tab on his LCARS board and released the panting engery from the phasers. Blue energy arced out and lashed hard against the shield generators. The freighter's shields flashed and for a moment they held. But only for a moment. Without warp power, the shields relied upon the secondary generators, which were now facing the full fury of the Hartington's main phaser array.

A second lashing blasted through the remains of the layered energy and contacted the hull in the specified locations. There was a larger, more brilliant flash as the power feedback overwhelmed the generators, causing a complete system-wide failure. The shields dropped.

"Captain," reported the Romulan Tactical Officer, "Shields on the vessel have disengaged. Lt. Solana, my board is detecting a group of communicator signals in one part of the freighter, and Lt. Calodan's in main engineering. Life signs are not consistent with the grouping, however. It is possible that they have become separated from their communicators."
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Live a life of action...not reaction.

Cory Drake · Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 3:04 am Post subject:

Lt. Cory Drake
USS Hartington
Bridge

Lieutenant Drake wiped the sweat away from his forehead with the cuff of his uniform sleeve as he continued to work the sensors.

Dang that Lieutenant Uvek is good, quick, Drake thought to himself as he worked silently.

"Captain, new readings coming in," Drake read from the console in front of him. "It appears as though most of our crew is in a Jefferies Tube of some sort, I think near engineering."

Drake continued to press at the console, prying out as much information from the sensors as he could for the captain to decide what the next course of action would be. What the heck was going on on that freighter vessel and how is the crew doing. As Drake thought to himself reading began to flash up as the Hartington fired again at the vessel, this time bringing down the shields.

"Calodan doesn't appear to be in the tube though, sir, he's in engineering," Drake said, now frowning. "It appears he's in very close proximity to one of the other life forms and his heart rate has accelerated. I don't think I've ever seen it this fast, Sir."

Drake wiped his forehead again, this time take a deep breath at the same time, now focusing the sensors on the area in the engineering section of the ship where the crew was.

"I am still reading all the lifesigns of our own people, Sir, that's a good thing," Drake said as the computer chirped back at him. "Captain! The life form near Calodan is moving towards him now!"
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Davynn Qech · Graphics Chief Joined: 16 Jun 2009 Posts: 809

"Lieutenant, over here. I could use a hand!"

Qech could hear Calodan's panicked voice from her place behind Lieutenant Zh'rel and knew they had to act. Zh'rel wasted no time, and pulled herself from the hatch as quickly as if Qech had shoved her out. With the path of sight now open, the Commander could see Calodan, his back against the wall and looking up in horror at some... what the hell is that?

Qech wasted no time in pulling out her phaser, and made to pull herself out of the hatch opening. Her decent was expedited, however, by a sudden rock of the ship, much like the one they had encountered earlier. She force pushed her forward, but she was grateful to have landed upright, phaser drawn. There was something by her feet, and it was twitching...

"Beck" she thought. It only took the Trill a moment to realize exactly what the Hartington was doing then. If even one of them was beamed aboard the Hartington without quarantine...

She yelled to Calodan as she quickly plucked the combadge from Beck's form, dropping it to the ground. "Calodan! Take your combadge off!" She knew she didn't have time to explain, and at her exclamation the creature took its eyes off the Lieutenant and turned to face them.

Qech fired.
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Marek · Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 9:27 am Post subject:

As they decended the Jeffries tube, Croft had begun to feel strange. Try as he might, he couldn't avoid contact with the black substance. The ship rocked from something, Croft was barely able to maintain his grip. He started as he heard the strange warble, but kept descending behind the Commander. As she was entering engineering, the ship bucked a second time from what was likely phaser fire, and Croft lost his grip. He fell several feet, barely missing Qech as she forced herself through the opening. He could hear shouting, but he couldn't make out the words. He had barely caught himself from falling the rest of the way through the ship. He held on while the world stopped spinning, he could see the Commander raising her phaser, his equilibrium making it appear she was moving it in a figure eight pattern. Oh boy, not good
"Koester, I think I'm going to fall...."
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ArjimCalodan · Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 2:06 pm Post subject:

"Calodan! Take your combadge off!"

Calodan looked at the commander slightly bewildered. Take my commbadge off? I think there is more important...but instead of trying to argue he followed orders, using his bound hands to removed it from his jacket and toss it onto the ground.

The bright orange flashes of twin phaser blasts were followed instantly by the whine of their firing. The creature took a shot from Qech and zh'Rel and barely even slowed in his shuffle towards them. Whatever this creature ways...phasers weren't going to stop it.

After a second's pause, he knew what he had to do. Bellowing his best Klingon war curse...he charged off the wall and caught the creature in the middle of its back in a flying tackle. The crunching blow sent stars across his vision and the tumble of landing on the deck on top of the alien knocked the wind out of him but he kept his cool long enough to roll away. His tackle had put the alien down..hopefully long enough for the rest of the team to up their phaser's settings and hit it.

Calodan spit out some strange black goop that was all over his face and shoulders after his collision with the creature.
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uvek · Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 5:31 pm Post subject:

Uvek looked to Brennon, the captain having his hands full with the tactical and scientific data being thrown at him. Yet, despite the various pieces of information, he looked very much in command; outwardly calm yet intense.

"Captain, should I transport PO Smith and Echo Team to the freighter? It may be an excellent moment to assume control."

His finger poised over the comm and he waited while confirming that the so-called derelict was without warp power and shields.....28 minutes before the bleed-off is complete.
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Live a life of action...not reaction.