Contagion - Chapter 5
Posted on Sun Aug 27th, 2023 @ 9:44am by Commodore Keiben Haistro & Commander Peter Horn & Lieutenant Commander Melanie D’BrooNi- Haistro & Lieutenant Commander Hiro Sommers-Yoshida & Lieutenant JG Abrasax & Glin Slorir Varin
1,546 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission: Episode 6 - Point Of Enlightenment
ON
The infirmary was the last place Keiben wanted to be given he would be faced with Mel. She was the last person he wanted to have to deal with at the moment but he needed to remain professional given the developing situation.
The doors parted at his approach, several beds already being set up along the promenade.
"Doctor D'BrooNi" he called over the mass of medical personnel all crammed into the small medical reception area. "I have seen reports and I can see for myself this situation is degenerating I want good news!"
"Then you are in the wrong place "Sir"," Mel said emphasising the sir as apparently her husband was still no nicer.
"I have sent messages to many medical colleagues, many on research groups looking at new drugs and we are trying some suggestions to lower body temperature and slow down the destruction of the blood vessels in the patients. As you likely know Symbalene Blood burn has no cure.
At this point all I can do is make people comfortable and keep trying new drug suggestions but each one I have to get Starfleet approval and we are talking things that have only had a light testing period presently and as you also know the bureaucracy is time consuming.
You may want to think about authorising my sent suggestion an hour ago that we can start putting the worst affected into Stasis. Lyras as patient zero needs to be there or we are going to loose him. Very soon. The rest we have a little more time," Mel told him.
"Summarise those suggestion Doctor. I can authorise them here and now!"
His tone was brisk but he was seeing the true potential of this situation and the devastation it could deliver to their plan.
Mel bunked a few times In disbelief. How had he not understood what she had just said?
“May I have permission to put Lyras in stasis and anyone else who is worst affected until we have a possible treatment plan,” she said. “Sir.”
~maybe he’s just throwing his weight around making you ask.~
~maybe he’s continuing on being an arsehole~
Inside her head her hosts all had an opinion apart from oddly Hal who was staying silent.
"You have authorisation to do what it needed Doctor" his tone remaining clipped. "Is there anything else I need to know?"
"Commodore this disease is modified and an attack on us. We need to find out who created it. And get their data. Hopefully we can find a cure from that or there already exists a cure," Mel told him firmly.
"Commodore Haistro to Operations, who's in command up there?" his tone remained as firm as his wives, the situation now beyond the point of no return.
"Horn here," the Vulcan StratOPS officer responded calmly, while waiting for further instructions. He couldn't very well ask what the station commander needed, now could he?
"Commander. By order of Starfleet Command this station in now under quarantine. No vessel is to dock and no vessel is to depart. Warning buoys are to be placed on the outskirts of the system warning any and all vessel to avoid this station at all costs. Contact Starfleet medical and forward them the information packet Doctor D'BrooNi will be sending you in just a moment. All civilian population is to be confined to their quarters only permitted to leave them to seek medical assistance or if a station wide emergency lands on us. Take the station to alert status an enact the segregated air filtration protocols... Are my orders clear Commander?"
His tone was direct, flat but carried as much authority as even he had thought was in him.
"Yes sir," the Vulcan answered in clipped tone. "Station quarantine in effect and buoys launched. All docked vessel's locked in place, occupants restricted to vessel. Arriving vessels are refused docking. All civilians directed to quarters," he repeated, "starfleet medical will be contacted shortly." He paused. "Sir, recommend all non-essential personnel to be confined as well."
“The USS Andromeda disembarked 2 days ago,” Mel pointed out. “They and any other ships in the same situation needs contacting and warning of the situation and can you set up a 3 way virtual meeting ops, engineering and medical. We need to find a fast way to scan everyone on the station and fast now we know what we are dealing with,”
The Commodore hit his combadge. "Lieutenant Abrasax, Lieutenant Yoshida and Chief Stoun you will be needed for a remote visual meeting in in the next five minutes". He looked at his wife once more.
"Anyone else?" his tone softening slightly realising that he needed to keep her on side. She was now their last defense against a virus that could wipe them all out.
“Get the head of Starfleet medical patched in,” she said seriously. “And I need to know where Charlie is. I want her with me. She’s been learning medical things from me since she was 8. Knows how to help in a crisis and I NEED every pair of hands with medical experience possible.”
"Charlie is a minor and a civilian. She will be restricted to quarters, and no arguments Doctor. This is for her good more than anything!" he returned in a clipped manner. Did she know?
Some Jefferies Tube
"Great timing." Hiro mumbled when the call of Commander Horn got through. Then he tapped his commbadge. "Yoshida here. I'll have to get to the nearest office. I'll try to be there in time."
Deck 9, Science Lab 3
By now Lieutenant Abrasax was getting to know the labs and the rest of the science personnel, he was ill-prepared for what was to come. He tapped his combadge. =/\=Abrasax here, understood,=/\= he replied and quickly queried the database on how a remote visual meeting would happen.
Infirmary
Before she had the chance to counter Keiben's order the doors once again parted showing the activity on the promenade, the klaxons sounding and security already starting to direct the civilian populations. Infront of all that however was the single Kelpian crewman assigned to the station. The near eight feet tall officer stumbled slightly, a cough wracking his body as he started to fall forward, Tam and Carter close on his heels. Both she and Keiben lunged to catch him, his cough spattering blood across Keiben's face.
Keiben dropped the Kelpian instantly, a reaction more than an intention as he wiped at the blood he had likely inhaled. His backward scramble stopped by the doors frame.
"Oh my god!"
Inside Mel's head, behind her hazmat suit several of her hosts were speaking at once. The loudest being Leiko claiming the "Meathead" deserved what he just got.
~That is my husband~ Mel chided the earlier personna.
~That's not your husband anymore. I bet he's done something to Charlie~
Mel shoved them all away. There was too much going on to debate any of that right now but she couldn't shake the idea her baby girl might be in trouble.
"Triage NOW," she told Keiben firmly and pointed at the queue forming for testing.
Adding to the calamity the communications system came online with the voice of Slorir Varin on the other side, "Varin to Commodore Haistro. Why has my vessel been ordered quarantined? I have been trying to leave this ship for the last five minutes, but your security people won't let me off of my ship." He didn't give the Commodore a chance to respond before he went into his tirade.
"Glin Varin, we have an emergent situation that has required us to quarantine the station." he sounded lost, unsteady as he stood in the line of people waiting to be tested. Hollowed out at the prospect of having contracted the disease. This could threaten the entire operation his people had planned for this station.
"We... erm... We need medical personnel. If you have any please get them into medical containment suits and beam them to the station infirmary as soon as you can!"
Unceremoniously Keiben cut the communications line with the Cardassian Liaison, his focus being on his own predicament. Would the illness affect his biology, would it only affect the host... Being medically investigated could lead to him being discovered!
Mel moved towards a couple of her staff. It was no surprise they were running out of beds. She checked how Peter was doing and for a vulcanoid surprisingly well.
"I wonder," she said. "Peter I need to take some tests. Your holding up better than any other person infected with Vulcan DNA. There has to be a reason."
Peter nodded slowly, casting a sideways glance at the bed which held his still unconscious son. He barely sensed the boy, no matter how hard he tried, and he hadn't been allowed near him either. "Run any test you need to, just save my son please," he begged of her, "do what you can to keep him alive. He is dying, I can sense he is afraid but his...emotions... I can barely sense him anymore, beyond the fear."
Mel bit her lip and decided she could no longer wait. "I'll get him in statis until we figure out how to treat this."
END
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