Regular Duty Part 1

Posted on 18 May 2021 @ 1:34pm by Lieutenant Colonel Alexandria Somers & Lieutenant Commander Alexanderia Cahill & Lieutenant Commander Remington Dodd & Lieutenant Lamia ‘Mia’ Kildare & Lieutenant JG Tosrol Ze & Lieutenant Matthew Thompson & Lieutenant Serina "Reaper" Donovan & Ensign Geoffrey Hale MD & Lieutenant JG Ted Silver & Petty Officer 1st Class Timothy Nelson & Petty Officer 3rd Class Kara Sem

2,891 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: S03 Ep 02 Trouble in the Sticks UXSys 659842 (Main) Phase 2
Location: Various
Timeline: S3 Mission 4 MD 10 During Away Teams Missions

[ON]

With both Away Teams now down on the planet it had become a waiting game and this is the one thing Alex hated was the waiting, she could not sit still, one moment she was sitting and the next pacing the floor, she looked at Cahill "how the hell does the Captain stand this quiet moment Commander? How can she just do nothing?" She asked pacing back and forth like a caged animal.

When I am bored waiting for the Captain, I use the time to read a good book or to do a holographic program to relax. I have one where I go to an ocean beach and relax in peace. Replied Cahill

Alex pauses and looks at Cahill "you were not on the bridge for this long last time I'll wager, come to think of it how does any fleet officer stand these quiet periods! off duty, I can handle that and I am just like everybody else, but on duty, if I have nothing to do I start to go stir crazy" she said and sat back down if only for approximately ten seconds before she was back up pacing back and forth or simply standing still before returning to pacing, she did not like this long waiting.

Cahill thought a moment before speaking "waiting has always come hard for the senior staff. It is a time tested and true fact that sometimes you will find yourself waiting in the rear. I had trouble doing it at first when I made LCMD, CMO and 2XO. It is hard but at the same time, you get to see members of your lower command aspire and grow as officers and NCO's as well. Staying behind is part of being in command. You are over the mission as a whole and need to learn to let your subordinates do their jobs" Replied Cahill.

"I know that much, Commander and I trust the crew to do their jobs, just as I trusted a young Ensign to lead a Science Away Team even though the lad was nervous, I am used to being an active part of a mission" Somers fell silent and grumbled as she began to pace again.

"The best way to relax is to find something you find relaxing. Perhaps a workout in the gym for example. Or take a walk on a Planet you like to visit on the holodeck. I have several I do quite often" replied Cahill.

"What I find relaxing Commander would give you nightmares, and do not think I do not know what my esteemed cousin has planned for me" *devolves into grumbling* "apologies I am not used to doing nothing" she added with a smile and pulled out her well-concealed collapsable quarterstaff from her belt. And as she began to pace she kept pressing the button allowing the weapon to expand and close repeatedly making an opening sound of *schniiiktz& and closing sound of snikkiiit* suddenly she was finding her calm.

Dr Cahill smiled, Somers had found something to occupy her mind and it looked like she was relaxing some now.

Tosrol had been given tactical for now, operations could wait, he was tinkering with the systems to really get a feel for them, it had been some time since he had touched a tactical console, the last time he had was during his academy days and still then he was rusty. He looked at the lieutenant commander "all tactical systems check out commander and are ready should we need them" he chirped as he tinkered a little more.

Serina was busy with her duties at the helm, but she also had pilot evaluations that needed her attention by the same token. So....she was multitasking for the time being. Keeping the ship in orbit was easy enough, yet doing the evaluations was a bit more tedious.

- Counselling Offices -

Lamia was sitting in her office, a pile of PADDs to one side of her desk and the other side was another pile. The tallest pile was made up of appointments and requests for appointments. She couldn’t say she didn’t have anything to do, but this still felt like the right call for her compared to being in Ops. She finished updating the latest personnel file just as the next person to, see her arrived.

- Engineering, Chief Engineer's Office and Lab -

Dodd had returned to his office to finalize some of the details for the modification of the maintenance drones to be used for distributing the napalm agent to destroy all life on the planet. He needed to finalize the subroutine to allow the modified drones to modify the other drones to speed up the work. He also had Nelson working on this since Pril was assigned to an away team. However, it was all in motion and moving smoothly.

Dodd completed what he needed to do and stepped into his lab to do one more modification to the NEVS system to allow the suits to record data and transmit it more efficiently. This update would be sent as a small transmission to the away team and picked up by their subdermal transponders.

Remington tapped his Commbadge =/\= Dodd to Thompson, I would like to meet with you once more. Where can I find you? =/\=

- Science Lab 2 -

Matt was in the lab supervising the creation of the biogenic agent. They had planned it out and realized the liquid version had the most potency. It was now a matter of making enough of it to cover the entire biosphere of the planet. So far they had enough for the drones about 240 Decaliters.

Suddenly his Commbadge sounded and he made the connection only to hear a familiar voice...

=/\= Dodd to Thompson, I would like to meet with you once more. Where can I find you? =/\=

=/\= I'm in science lab two still churning out the biogenic compound, Come on down =/\= Matt replied.

=/\= Great, I am going to come to you, to talk about some ideas that came up for the use of drones. See you in a few minutes. =/\= Dodd stated.

Dodd then departed his office, exited engineering, and started on his way to science lab two to talk once more with Thompson.

=/\=Dr. Hale, please report to science lab two=/\=

Dodd arrived in Science Lab 2 and approached Thompson.

"Hello, I was reviewing some preliminary data, and I have an idea for the distribution of the agent," Dodd stated. "We do a layered attack for the deployment of the drones and try to saturate the surface and the atmosphere."

"I think that will work well with the aerosol form of the biogenic I've developed. The liquid form is highly unstable." Matt replied.

"My thought is to have a wave of drones go in and saturate the surface then have a second wave go in just above the troposphere and then the third wave in the outermost layer of the atmosphere. The aerosol should then fully saturate the biosphere of the planet and when the ignition of the agent occurs, the whole surface would be on fire and the air would even burn all the oxygen within it and thus all viable microbes should be extinguished in the process." Dodd added. "We would sacrifice the drones in the process as we could not risk any microbes possibly hitching a ride on them to escape."

"I feel the use of sacrificial drones is a reasonable precaution," Hale said evenly. "We are attempting to quarantine and eradicate a dangerous pathogen, it won't pay to take chances, and we must ensure that we remain uncontaminated in the process. This should be as hands-off as possible." He crossed his arms over his chest as he finished.

"The pathogen we've designed won't harm us, but it will have an almost explosive effect on the isoboromine receptors of the Organic life on the planet's surface," Thompson explained.

"I can always have more drones made, so I am for this idea but I will understand if a different direction is needed," Dodd replied. "I will say I feel the captain should be willing to go forward with this plan and once the atmosphere goes up in flame the planet should be biologically sterile to at least the bottom of the crust of the surface."

- Bridge -

Back up on the bridge Alex had stopped playing with her collapsable staff and was sitting down drumming her fingers on her right hands while resting her head in her left, knowing this was not right for a ship commander, but currently, she was so bored she did not care, but when she eventually took over the ship she would have to act differently. She looked at Cahill "I am in my own personal hell Commander, an essential job and flame all to do, I am going stir crazy here!" she said to Cahill.

Cahill had returned to the Bridge and sat down in the XO seat next to Col Somers. "I know what you mean Col. I am used to having to handle every detail in Sick Bay. My staff is doing so well that I am not needed there and it leaves me looking for stuff to occupy my mind as well. All my staff reports and recommendations have been filed. And they are running smoothly in Sick Bay as we speak. Now all I can do is wait till they need me for something." As she smiled.

*The Colonel simply nods* in response and sits up and pressed a button on her chair arm =/\= Bridge to Dodd, what is the latest Chief, how goes the delivery system? =/\= she asked.

=/\= Captain, the delivery system is ready, we are just working out the fine details. I am suggesting sacrificing at least half of the drones as we will need to disperse the agent in layers but all at the same time and the drones in the lower atmosphere or at habitat level will not have time to get out of the blast once the organics ignite the agent. =/\= Dodd replied.

=/\= Good work El-tee, when it is done load them into Type 4 Torpedo casings and program them to open at various levels in the atmosphere after they have been fired from the ship, you might want to program the drones to spread out globally and then deploy their flammable nerve agent then we will ignite the agent with Phaser fire =/\= the Colonel responded.

=/\= Roger, Captain. Will get that plan in motion. Dodd out. =/\= Dodd replied.

=/\= Dodd to Nelson. =/\= Dodd called Nelson in engineering.

=/\= Nelson here sir. =/\= Nelson replied.

=/\= Nelson have your team prepare the drones for departure. Type 4 torpedo casing and set deployment to global dispersion. Set wave one to bio level, wave two to the mid atmosphere, and wave three to the extreme upper atmosphere. Then launch when all is ready. The only drones to return to the ship are those in wave three as the others will be coated in the bioagent and not salvageable. =/\= Dodd ordered.

=/\= Roger sir, I will have the team get it done. =/\= Nelson responded.

=/\= Good work and notify me as soon as you are ready to launch so I can watch our hard work. Dodd out. =/\= Dodd added.

Nelson and the team of engineers working with the drones had them all encased in type 4 torpedo casing and loaded in the torpedo launchers within twenty minutes There were twelve torpedoes to launch in three waves. Nelson sent word to Dodd that the launch was ready. Dodd was at a display and ready to watch the plan unfold.

Suddenly the ship's communications came to life...

=/\= This is the science away team. Ensign Ted Silver reporting. I have a very urgent message for you. It concerns the planet below and the fate of the other away team....=/\= Ted said

*Looks up quickly and rushes to the communications* =/\= This is Colonel Somers Mr Silver, what over the other Away Team? You are the first we have heard from, give us the sitrep =/\= the Colonel said.

=/\= Pril and Lee have discovered. The plants are also very much zombified and they are producing spores that are flooding the atmosphere. These spores will pass on the Blue Gill Zombie plague. Pril also discovered that these spores could leave the atmosphere of the planet. Go into a dormant state while in space. Then come alive again when entering the atmosphere of a new planet. Thanks to their and Racine’s quick thinking it was discovered that the spores were inside the shuttle. They put together a process that scrubbed the air clean inside the shuttle. However due to the outside of the shuttle being covered in these spores. We will have to abandon the shuttle and beam onto the ship. It cannot be brought aboard. They have sent you the details of the air scrubbing system. So the other away team will be safe.=/\=

*Ted took a breather*

=/\= I would like to put it on record. That the science away team did an exceptional job. I also would like to nominate them all for an award. These spores must be destroyed before they have a chance to leave the atmosphere. The whole planet must be cleaned or this will happen again. No sir we would all like to be beamed home, please =/\= he said and signed off.

Somers listened a little concerned at this latest news...

Then Dodd's voice came over the Comms, it seemed that he had been listening in =/\=Ma'am, I may be able to configure the secondary shuttle bay to be a vacuum and if the shuttles came aboard, I could rig a system to do what Pril's device did for the interior of the shuttle and thus contain the spores and send them back to the planet as it burns," Dodd added after the message came in from Silver. "I would hate to sacrifice two of our top of the line shuttles if we could save them. The transporters can be configured to not beam the NEVs off but still get the crew off the shuttles and we can remote the shuttles into the bay to cleanse their hulls while keeping the ventilation sealed and reinforced to allow a modified forcefield to sweep the outer hulls of the shuttles and syphon out the spores.=/\=

Pressing the Communication =/\= Negative Mr Dodd, continue on with what you are currently doing, I will deal with the Science team =/\= the Colonel said.

=/\= Understood, ma'am. =/\= Dodd replied disappointed that they would lose two fine shuttlecraft as part of this mission.

=/\= good man, Somers out =/\= she paused and looked back at Cahill "Okay Doctor get a hazmat team down to transporter room one and cordon off that level, use some marines if you have to, but set you up a triage at Transporter room one until the Science away team is cleared to leave the area" she said to Cahill.

"Understood Captain," Cahill said and tapped her Commbadge =/\= denomination team to transporter room with an armed security team =/\= Cahill said as she left the bridge to head to transporter room One.

When the Doctor had left the bridge she activated the communications =/\= Tomcat to Silver, ready what you can, we will beam you up to transporter Room One the level will be under quarantine until the CMO clears you, converse with her from here on out, your data has been received use Pattern enhancers close to the shuttle then let me know when all your team is on the ship =/\= the Colonel said.

=/\= Understood sir. It will be good to come home. Silver out.=/\=

The Colonel looked at the control and pressed the communications =/\= Bridge to transporter room one energize, Doctor, be ready =/\= she said and heard the transporter operator acknowledging the order in the background.

=/\=Ready and standing by Captain.=/\= replied Cahill.

Once they were inboard she quickly examined each member of the away team and determined they were all safe and uncontaminated. She heard talk about the shuttle being contaminated and knew we would have to destroy it to prevent any Starfleet technology from falling into the wrong hands.

=/\= Captain all are safe and uncontaminated. Permission has been given for them to return to normal duties? =/\= The Doctor asked

*Sighs heavily* =/\=You are the Chief Medical Officer and resident expert Doctor, you should be able to make the decision on your own, next time you will, but as you have asked they may return to normal duties =/\= Somers said.

Cahill replied, =/\=Aye COL=/\= and left transporter room 1. "Chief let me know if I am needed again."

Ted looked at the others and shrugged.

“ Well looks like we are good to go. Great work everyone. Once we have some downtime. I owe you all a drink.” Nodding he left the transporter room.

[OFF]

Lieutenant Colonel Alexandria Somers [P: Somers]
Acting CO

Lieutenant Commander Alexanderia Cahill MD
Chief Medical Officer/2XO

Lieutenant Remington Dodd
Chief Engineer

Lieutenant Lamia 'Mia' Arderne
Assistant Chief Counsellor

Lieutenant Jg Matthew Thompson
Chief Science Officer

Lieutenant Jg. Paul Winchester
Chief of Security

Lieutenant Jg Torsol Ze
Chief Operations Officer

Ensign Ted Silver
Assistant CSO

Ensign Geoffery Hale MD
Assistant Chief Medical Officer

Lieutenant JG Serina 'Reaper' Donovan
CAG/Raider 1/Helm Officer

Petty Officer 3 Kara Pril [P: Dodd]
Matter/Energy Systems Specialist

Petty Officer 2 Timothy Nelson [P: Dodd]
Propulsion Specialist

 

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