Eye of the Machine

Posted on Thu Apr 8th, 2021 @ 11:37am by Ensign L'johk Adams & Commander Peter Horn & Lieutenant Commander Melanie D’BrooNi- Haistro & Lieutenant Commander Junjie Han & Lieutenant JG Sher'ra Verona

1,614 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Episode 2 - Echoes Of An Empire
Location: Gret'Oar'Zhan Bio Weapon Cold Storage Facility
Timeline: Mission Day 10 @ 1410 Hours

ON

Though not as strong a telepath as Keiben, Peter had no more fight left and felt the machine take control of him. There was little strength left in him, and being shot close range didn't help either. His warnings were unheeded, the counselor was aware of at least this much.

Through the machine he was aware of the cryopods that were close by, the closest only a few paces away. The nanos were in control now, multiplying as they were directed to a new cause by a powerful external factor. The counselor took a few tentative steps away from the controls, ignoring the officer who had his weapon trained in him. His body suppressed a series of coughs yet again as he approached the nearest pod.

Internally horrified, Peter knew this was a losing fight as he lifted his right hand towards the glass canopy that covered the pod. A crashing sound followed, as his hand smashed through, glass cutting deeply though skin and more. Blood dripped copiously on the creature inside.

It had done it, the machine had achieved its goal. Although it would take some time to complete what it needed with this one form still in cryostasis but it had achieved. It ripped itself from the mind of this weak telepath, forcefully, not concerned about the lasting damage its withdrawal could cause and forcing it to a state of near unconsciousness.

The injured counselor crumpled to the dusty floor without making much of a sound. He didn't even have the strength nor the sense to grab what was left of his damaged and bleeding hand.

"Dear God, Commander Horn!"
Adams cried out from his vantage point at the door, still holding the immobile Ensign Olowe.

Brodie watched as Commander Horn's body fell to the floor and lie unmoving and his hand bleeding for a split second. " MEDIC!!! " As he quickly moved to where the commander lay to try to slow the bleeding by applying pressure to the wound. "Someone keep an eye on that Damn thing in the cryotube! We do Nay need any surprises on top of all of this."

Mels team made it out of the cryo chambers and were just about to sigh of relief seeing other crew members when Mel heard the words "Medic". She rushed forward again. Oh by the pools it was Peter.

"What happened?" she said as they made space for her. She pulled out her tricorder and dermal regenerator starting to work on closing up the wound on his hand. "His nervous system is all over the place and he's showing elevated levels of ... was he communicating telepathically with someone?" the Trill doctor fired the question out.

"It's that damned machine!" Amalia yelled, "It caught Captain Haistro! Had to knock him out." making her way over to the machine, seeing what she could do to shut it down. "Got to shut it down, or destroy it. " she murmured, moving to open up the console, "Can't let anymore of those things wake up.

Tamaska was certainly feeling out of her depth here, she wasn't an engineering specialist, best she could do was to be at the ready. Moving over to be near Mel and Horn.

"We did run into those things, from what I've been told, they went after anyone not really making any decisions as to who they were attacking." Tamaska said, looking with concern at the cryopod that had been broken open.

"When Haistro was taken away from the machine, it apparently stopped the creatures from moving forward, but now.." Amalia having pulled off the console panel to get into the inside of the machine. If there was a power source connection, she was going to pull it.

"NO," Minka told the petty officer. "Do not go fiddling with that. That is millenia old technology that will likely take us years to even start to understand. You start pull things apart you could do anything. Im the engineer. I'm getting as much info on the what its made of, power flow Im looking for if any although we think its telepathically power which is a wonder in its own sense. You start pulling out components or try shoot that up you might release all of those beings in there or make a bigger part of the system switch on to accommodate.

Let me do my job. If knocking out the captain solved the problem then the same needs doing .. safely for the counselor. The doc has the means," the petite engineer pulled no punches pushing her out of the way.

Mel nodded. "The damage to his hand is far deeper than it looks. I need to get him into surgery to have any chance of him keeping it. And if it is using his telepathic abilities we can't have it come back for round 2 if he comes round. I'm going to put him in a coma. Commander," she turned to Tam. "We need to get him out of here, everyone. There's still one of those things out there and its not a friendly. I don't know why it chose not to rip me into shreds but I have at least some DNA," she indicated the black goop on her face, " we can hopefully start to get some answers from."

She loaded a hypo spray and put it to Peters neck.

Stepping over to stand beside Mel, Sher’ra knelt down to look at the commander, “how careful do we need to be when moving him?”

Amalia tumbled away, and looked at Minka. "Okay, gotcha, no messing with the computer. And glad to see you alive." giving a bit of a smile.

"Okay then lets get everyone, out of here..." Tamaska paused to do a head count, "Is everyone here or are we missing some people."

As the contents of the hypospray were released into his system, Peter's vitals started to crash and hover dangerously low. He convulsed a few times as his system warred with the medication, having gone haywire with the external control. His pain receptors were on overload with the extensive damage done to his right hand, and the still smouldering burn on his chest. When he finally seemed to stabilize, his breath was so shallow, it was nearly undetectable save for the rasping sound it made.

Brodie watched as BrooNi administered to Commander Horn. " Is there anything I can do to help Doc? I just got the basics from what they taught us in the academy. Is this reaction normal from the hypo? But what I'd like to know mostly is he going to be ok? " Brodie asked with apparent concern in his voice.

Edward looked about and spotted Minka and walked over to her. " I think you and I may have some work to do. If we're leaving we'll need to make a couple of litters to transport the wounded. If we're staying we'll need to find an area that is more defendable then here and set up some kind of detection grid, Just waiting on the word of which way we jump. "

Junjie came over to where he saw Tamaska. " Thanks for coming, your a sight for sore eyes. " He stopped and took a deep breath and then exhaled as he collected his thoughts. " These creatures are a terrible horror to say the least and has scarred both body and mind, I'm glad to see that you and the others are safe. Still you look worn and tired, Are you doing alright? "

Tamaska smiled briefly at Junjie. "I'm good so far." her smile fading away.

The sound of glass tumbling from a height and hitting the ground like a million raindrops broke through the relative calm that had descended on the group and breaking any thought of safety as Adams spotted a oily black claw finding its way to the opening in the broken canopy of the cryostasis pod. It was a stilted movement, like a child learning to walk, unsure and unsteady and it continued to knock the remains of the glass from its fragile perch.

"Commander... we have to move now!" L'johK bellowed more for the benefit of everyone than just the first officer. "I think that machine thing has found a way to make them move!"

"Teach, we do not have the time for litters." Tamaska replied moving over to where Peter was at, kneeling down, "someone help me get him on my back." she stated, as she took off her tunic to help secure Peter on her back.

Amalia ran over and helped Tamaska get Peter on her back, his arms over her shoulder and his legs about Tam's waist.

Tam quickly secured her tunic about Peter, to help keep him steady, and rose to her feet. Taking one other glance towards the monster that was starting to climb out of its 'womb'

"As what Adams had said, time to leave now!" Tamaska commanded, and in so doing moved away at a semi quick pace. "Minka, Verona everyone, double time. Don't know how much we've got before that thing will be upon us! And don't shoot the machine!"

"Hold on Peter, just.. hold on..." Tamaska said quietly.

Moments passed, breathless ones at that as the entire group moved as quickly as they could as one unit. Commander Holt carrying Peter Horn on her back, Adams with Olowe in one arm but still brandishing his handheld phaser as he barrelled forward, the rest of the group equally measure exhausted, frightened and relieved when Copernicus drew closer... No sign of the creatures... not one. It left an ominous and foreboding feeling in the pit of each stomach ascending the landing ramp into Copernicus.

END

 

RSS Feed