Return to Faltan Base (Part 2)

Posted on Sun Aug 27th, 2023 @ 8:27pm by Commander Ba'zra Channe & Lieutenant Feeva Drylo & Lieutenant Marcus Alexander MD

1,720 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Mission 4 - Like a Thunderbolt
Location: Falta III, Faltan Base

Ba'zra beamed everyone down to the base except herself to keep an eye out from the sky for problems.

As the group appeared on the Station, Feeva looked around, taking in the sights, the sounds, the smells, the sensations of Falta III. It smelled like...smog, perhaps, and maybe like despondency. A sort of je ne sais quoi she couldn't quite place. Maybe a bit like Vissia, too. She understood the abject sadness of a society that kept isolated, even if the intentions were good. Surely, one of these Falteans wanted more, like she had, but she couldn't concern herself with that today. Instead, she put on the heavy safety gloves, and looked around. "Lockley, lead the way," she said. "Doc, I am going to need assistance to get samples," she said, already bent to collect soil near her feet. "Everything," she said simply. "Not just the samples from the...person, but also air, plants, bugs, whatever you come across. You, in yellow. What's your name again? You can help!" She handed him a glass vial. Her mind ran solely on two tracks-her job, and coffee. Coffee was long forgotten now that she had a PROJECT.

The doctor started scanning using his medical tricorder. He was a little irritated by being called 'doc' by the science officer. His tricorder showed a plethora of organic matter in the area.

Feeva nodded. "Thank you, Doctor," she said. She clicked the button on her comms badge. ==^==Ma'am, we're on the planet now, heading forward.==^== She clicked off, took a breath, and stepped forward. Why weren't science staff armed?! Not that she'd know what to do with it, but it'd make her feel better.

"Lieutenant," he said directing towards Feeva. "It would be best for us to make our way to the conference room. Where this all began." Marcus saw on his tricorder that the transporter chief had beamed them down a few rooms away from their destination. He knew that would be where they would have the greatest possibility to find what they were looking. He motioned to the security officer by his side.

She looked at the Doctor. "Aye," she said. "That's the first logical thing you've said this morning!" Would wonders ever cease?! "Lead the way, then, L-T," she said, using the letters. She would be in the middle-she was many things, but stupid wasn't one. She was a sitting duck out here-unarmed and unwelcome to these people.

Marcus took and deep breath then released it, briefly fogging up the helmet on EV suit. "Mr. Niahl, I guess that mean you have the flank." He stepped forward following the path on his tricorder. Unlike the scientist, he carried a Type I phaser on his waist. He learned many years ago that wearing a blue uniform wouldn't protect you from being attacked.

Fee followed behind Marcus, and close to the Security officer. She was on alert to danger, but also, she was taking in everything-the sights, smells, and sounds. All of her senses were in high gear-both of scientific curiosity, and because of the fact that she'd never been here before. Vissians were a more advanced culture-even though they had kept to themselves mostly, they'd had warp capabilities for three hundred years. "It's quiet...almost TOO quiet," she said, quietly. Creepy.

"Aye, Sir" Niahl said softly, the words accented, flavored by the home that had rejected his caste. He moved easily, undeterred by the atmosphere, and kept a noiseless pace to the side and a little toward the front of the group. The Falteans were moving slowly so there was time and if there wasn't, well, he'd be ready. In a literal sense, he'd been born a warrior and grown up in the caste. His training as a youth had been more extensive than that provided at Starfleet Academy though he'd enjoyed that experience as well.

The Scientist remained silent, but paused a few feet later to gather some soil and a spider-type creature that had crossed her path. The others would simply need to wait-she wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to gather resources to better understand the Falteans. "Proceed," she said, quietly, in her oddly-accented voice. She slipped the vials of soil and bug into the pocket of the EV suit.

Niahl, who remembered the base, led them to the edge of what had been the infectious zone at the time they'd left Falta III and waited. In this, the scientists would need to lead. He was there to ensure they returned unharmed.

At the end of a dark corridor, they found the door to the conference room. The doctor's tricorder was picking up biological matter. Remnants of the massacre that had taken place. He was detecting biological remains from several species, but no life signs were detected. Without hesitation, he opened the door. Inside he was in awe of the remains, but the untouched technology. It was a truly biological attack. Some areas had an odd biolumenesent glow. He looked over to the science officer, "be careful," he said to her.

She nodded. "I am. You, too," she said. "This is a good time to fix your suit and gloves," she said. She put hers on, ready to go. The rest could take liberties with their safety. She preferred to stay alive. As they walked forward, she took in the picture. There was still blood, and other unidentifiable tissues, on the walls and floors. "I am going to get a scraping of that," she said, stepping to a wall. Carefully, she completed the task after removing a small scalpel-like knife from her toolkit.

While they worked, Niahll moved to one of the desk outside the conference room and consulted the desktop computer display at the security station. The Falteans had stopped their advance which gave the scientists a bit more time. If necessary, there were ways to slow them down, force fields and the like, but he wouldn't employ them unless needed.

Fee collected everything she could think of-more scrapings of the walls, but also from the one body that remained, blood, and what appeared to be gunpowder. She'd have to process it to be sure, but at first blush, that's what it was.

==/\==Is it possible for me to get some samples of the meal that people were eating that day? It was a conference of sorts, wasn't it?==/\== She tapped to the Doc and Ba'zra. ==/\==I just like to be through.==/\== She said, feeling defense for some reason.

She raised her head. "I'll take some photos, as well," she said.

"We should leave soon," Niahl said. "The next team will need time to shut the station down properly."

"Science isn't linear," she said, with a hair toss. "It takes as long as it takes. I'll do my best to hurry but if we want answers, we need to follow procedure," she said, the final word sounding like it ended in a long "A" sound.

"Then be prepared to do it under fire," Niahl responded calmly. "The Falteans are on their way." He studied her for a moment and then nodded to himself. "I'll do what I can to delay them."

Being under threat, being in danger, was a way of life for Niahl, something he had been trained for since birth. Understanding then that the Mo'aku ... the scientists ... could not be hurried, he moved silently away from them to do what he could to give them the time.

Marcus made his way to the epicenter of the disaster. He swept his tricorder back and forth as the scanned the remains. Then he came across the one he was looking for. The remains contained Faltean DNA. He pulled a small vial made especially for biohazardous matter. He held his breath as he carefully collected a sample. Nothing happened as he closed the lid on the vial. It then started to glow with a bright green hue. He placed it in the biohazard container box. The specimen did nothing but glow which was shocking and a relief.

The doctor looked over to the Science Officer. "Are you finished yet?" he asked with a tone of sarcasm.

Feeva fixed him with a stare. "Science, unlike medicine, isn't a practice, but it takes time, Doc. When I am finished, you'll be the first to know," she said. She did snap only a couple of photos, though. "I'll send these back to Commander Ba'zra," she said, using her the Transport function on her Chronometer to do so.

[Elsewhere]

Niahl did what he could in the time he had, setting automatic security measures such as requiring combadges linked to Starfleet personnel to open doors and force fields that would snap on when the Falteans got within a certain distance of a sensitive area. It would be better to have an entire security team here but that wasn't possible given the constraints. Nothing he had done would hinder the second team ... just visitors.

[Back at the Conference Room]

"NOW I am ready, if you boys have gotten the samples, that is," she said. She tapped her badge.

==/\==Commander Ba'zra, four to beam back, please, ma'am.==/\== She followed the others out to the transport pad.

Niahl slipped back into the room as the Science Officer gave the command to beam up the away team and wondered if she had even noticed his absence. No matter. If he had been left behind, it would just have given him more time. He followed and stepped up onto the transporter pad with the others.

The doctor had made his way to the transport pad. He had collected what was needed for him to investigate. He stood there waiting for the Commander to answer.

[Back on the Ship]

The transporter beam claimed them and within moments, the team was back on the ship with the second team waiting to beam down. Niahl stepped off the pad immediately and moved out of the way.

Feeva stepped forward, towards the Labs. "If anyone needs me, I've got me some work to do, I'll be in the Labs," the diminutive ginger said, as she tore off down the Corridor, stripping off her EV suit as she hurried. "Be a dear and have those samples transported to me office, will ya, someone?" She called behind her.

 

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