Hide and go seek- The mystery on the mining station

Posted on 28 Apr 2023 @ 7:57pm by Lieutenant Lamia ‘Mia’ Kildare & Captain Mazal Falk & 2nd Lieutenant Cassandra Mathews
Edited on on 01 May 2023 @ 2:52pm

4,069 words; about a 20 minute read

Mission: S3 Episode 5: Diplomatic Incident/Hydaransz Again (Main)
Location: Mining station - 3
Timeline: During Marine Mission

[ON]

They were on standby. Ready and waiting when the order came through and the team felt the familiar sensation of the transporter whisking them away in so many cells. Broken down and reformed whole again into the real version of the mining station she'd been practising manoeuvres on the holodeck for a week now. It was eerie, to say the least. Still, they automatically fanned out and secured the empty mining hold they had appeared in. Cassandra checked the readout on her visor letting it help her orient herself to the goal. Engineering section core, three levels down in the center of the station. DandC along the way. Stealth was the small team's best weapon. So far luck was on their side. Though there were readings of lifeforms in the area, nobody seemed to have seen or heard their arrival. Cassandra was thankful for that.

Being on point, Cassandra moved to the door and waved a fellow trooper up next to her. She held up two fingers indicating two lifeforms just outside the door. She motioned for them to open the door and help her to subdue them quickly so they could keep moving. However, when the door slid open instead of finding any guards or workers lingering in the corridor there were only two bodies, One was missing an arm that seemed to have been torn off. The appendage was nowhere to be found at a quick glance. It was hard to tell if they were male or female the damage was so great. Cassandra didn't know what to think of it. It wasn't what she had been expecting. Still, she waved the next two through to secure the area. The silence was deafening. As soon as it was safe Cassandra waved the Medic forward to get their take on the situation.

Olivia Steele stepped forward, this wasn’t her first time out in the field but she was wary nonetheless. Her medical instincts kicked in as she saw the reason she’d been called forward. “Heavens what a mess” She surveyed the two bodies closely. “Whatever tore the arm from this body, did it with sheer force. The question is where is the missing arm? As for the other body, it’s too decomposed for me to get an accurate identification I’m afraid, but it looks almost like there are bite marks in the skeleton.” She gave the others a wary look.

"Well, this just got more fun." Cassandra knew the team was already on high alert. So no need to ask for extra vigilance. They could see the bodies and hear the doctor. "Are the bite marks consistent? Or does it look like the creature might come back to feed off it again?" Cassandra asked having gone over to the doctor to get a closer look at the bite marks. They looked and smelled old and like they happened at the same time. Still, Cassandra was no scientist or doctor. She also knew they needed to keep moving, especially if there were man-eating creatures possibly afoot.

Olivia shrugged her shoulders, “It’s difficult to say, Lieutenant, there are multiple bite marks but I can’t tell how long ago the last bite was.”

"Well, we obviously can't do anything for them. We should keep moving." Cassandra finally said.

Olivia nodded. “Let’s hope whatever did this isn’t still around.”

"You and me both doctor," Cassandra replied. The group moved off towards the center of the station in a leapfrog formation. Clear, sweep, clear, sweep... Anther body in pieces, it was becoming more and more obvious that if there were any survivors at all they were not in the halls. Still better safe than sorry.

They reached a lift station. The lift had been cut, its cords hung three floors up the shaft, and there was a smell of ozone and decay hanging heavily here. That wasn't the problem really. The problem was the service hatch they needed to access appeared to be welded shut. The engineer attached to the team was trying to figure it out. Cassandra was already considering the possibility of an alternative route when she thought she saw someone staring down from a higher floor at them from the shaft.

They didn't appear to be armed. Or a danger. At the moment.

"Hey ummm. Doc. I think there is a survivor up there." She whispered softly not wanting to scare whoever it was. Whoever they were they were smallish, humanoid looking, perhaps a child? Or maybe it was a trap? The shadowy figure stood in the darkness framed black on black staring back at them.

Olivia gazed up, offering a smile. “Hello...we’re here to help you.” She looked at Cassandra. “Can we get up there?”

Corporal Afton was keeping an eye out on their six, with the other marines with them. He came up quietly to where the Steel and Matthews were at, his gaze going upwards to where the other two were gazing. "Okay we've got a live one there, don't we?"

The figure moved as if to get a better look at them. It was enough to confirm that it was indeed a smaller child, maybe 7 or 8. Except she was sucking her thumb and had a vacant look in her eyes. She then moved out of the light and disappeared as quickly as she'd appeared to them never making a sound.

"Yeah, I think that is the floor we needed actually. If we go through the medical department there should be a secondary hatch. Or we see if we can blast this service hatch open to access the ladder. Or..." Cassandra licked her lips and then suggested, "We could climb the shaft here. It's the fastest way, but the most dangerous. Especially since we don't know who or what else might be up there with her."

Olivia looked at Cassandra. “We need to get up to that little girl, who knows what conditions are up there.”

Afton looked up at the girl, he thought it was rather strange for her to be here without her parents. He checked his tricorder and the Hud to see if he could pick up anyone else life sign-wise.

The place seemed to light up with apparent life forms... Some of them obviously dead. Strangely the child above didn't seem to be registering either. Come to think of it, they themselves didn't seem to be coming up on the scanners either. Yet the bodies and even the blood spatters on the walls in some places glowed in the scanners as if they were healthy and youthful instead of rotting corpses.

"So here's what we are going to do then. We are going to use the magnetic grappling hook. We can catch it on the frame up there. I'm going to go up first and secure the line. While I am doing that Afton I want you to get a climbing harness on the good doctor here. Then follow her up the line." Cassandra said as she began to unhook her rope and prepare her hook in the launcher. She glanced over to the Engineer. "Harley, I'm leaving you to take the rest of the team and continue on the mission, go through the medical bay and keep an eye out for any more survivors. Bassett I want you to get on a line to the Roosevelt and inform them of our current understanding of the situation. Tell them that the base is already K.O.ed and we have a possible rescue situation."

Bassett raised a brow, "Our standing orders are to kill any opposition we encounter while securing the station."

"I am well aware of that. I am taking the liberty of altering them which is my prerogative as team leader. That up there Bassett isn't opposition. She hasn't engaged us in any harmful way, so I don't think she's going to cause us any problems. You're still going to go and carry out the objective. Just be extra sure of what you're shooting at." Cassandra then carefully with a practised hand took aim and sent the grapple soaring. It stuck. The rope was just barely long enough. Cassandra gave it a pull to secure it further.

Harley was already packed up and started moving. "See you in engineering. Let's move out."

"And Harley..." Cassie said quickly, causing the engineer to look back at her. "This malfunction with the scanners has to be some type of localized disturbance. Seriously be extra careful. This place is creepy." Cassandra

Harley nodded in response. "Yeah, it is. You guys be careful up there." then they were moving off to follow the original mapped-out route.

Bassett lingered only a moment as he adjusted his COMM relaying the situation as he followed the rest.

Cassandra held the rope and looked down with a soft whistle. 'Damn long drop'. She then began to climb.

Olivia stood as she was helped into a harness, she’d done this during her training but she’d had little reason to use it since then. Once she was ready she took a deep breath and started her climb, she didn’t want to say that she didn’t like heights so she just kept her eyes firmly fixed above.

Cassandra had secured the line and then turned around to help the others up while also keeping an eye out for the kid they had seen. The power to this level was out or had been cut for some reason. It makes it harder to see especially with the false life signs popping up. The bodies they belonged to couldn't possibly be alive.

A soft Thuuuuuump, pap, Thuuump, pap was barely discernable even in the eerie silence from the direction they had seen the little shadow run off in.

The bulkhead in several places beheld deep gashes. It reminded Cassandra of her time fighting against Gorn. They didn't bother blowing up doors they would just come through the damn walls to get to you. She took a deep breath.

"Do you guys hear that? Do you think it might be the kid?" Cassandra asked.

The kid hadn't made any noise before... But that could have just been a fluke right? Was she trying to draw them in? Did she even know they had come up here?

"She can't be far. Let's spread out and look sharp okay." Cassandra suggested. Looking to the other two to see if they were comfortable with that idea.

“Let’s just go slow” Olivia pointed out. “She’s probably afraid.”

"That makes two of us then," Cassandra said softly more to herself. She'd seen worse places. She kept her focus here though. In the now. Fear was a healthy little tool when used correctly.

Afton was basically keeping silent shining his light around and keeping watch over Matthews and Olivia. His light paused on something.

That's when they spotted her. Just as Afton's light turned down the corridor they saw a body on the floor lift up slightly as if to look at them and then lay down to play dead again. Cassandra nearly had a heart attack. If the little girl was here though... Then what was the sound down the other corridor then?

"Hey, Doc, You Ummm ... You get the kid there okay? Don't go off chasing her if she runs or anything. But if you can coax her to come with us maybe?" Cassandra asked keeping her voice low and soft so as not to carry too far.

Olivia nodded as she crouched down a couple of steps forward. “Hey there, I’m Olivia we’re here to help. Would you like us to help?” She held out her hand hoping the girl would come to her. “I promise I won’t leave you.”

The girl lifted her head, Then her torso on scrawny arms that shook. Her eyes did not seem so vacant now, more like she was considering the three of them. She glanced back over her shoulder towards the sound of the noise. She didn't move, however. It was as if she was waiting for someone or something.

Cassandra turned to Afton. "I want you to stay here and keep the doc and the kid safe. Something is way off here. I want to go check out that noise. I don't want anything sneaking up on us from behind. It might even be more survivors. Once the kid is secured, I want you to head to the lounge area just down the left hall there according to the schematic. About five doors down past the kid, big double doors can't miss 'em. There should be a service tunnel past the kitchen that leads into engineering. If anything happens while I am gone you take the doctor and the kid, carry her if you have to and you meet up with the team. I'll be back in ten minutes if all goes well. And don't let Barrett give you lip your in charge while I am gone. He can write a report bout it if he doesn't like it."

"Eh don't worry I'll deal with him, El Tee." Afton responded, you best get back I don't want to deal with an angry Amazon either. " referring to Mazal.

Cassandra couldn't help but smile at his comment. He was right. Nobody wanted to be at the receiving end of the MXO's ire. The best to avoid it if they could. She had barely taken a few steps when the noise suddenly stopped.

'Ummmm?' Cassandra's mind didn't have long to ponder the new information, however...

The child launched herself towards them a small keening noise escaped her like a tiny scream as she ducked behind the big man with the big gun. She shook her little matted head still making that tiny whimpering that sounded more and more like. "No, no no.." or maybe " go go go.". Whatever it was she was trying to pull Afton backwards with her like a shield. Her little fingers pulled at his straps almost desperately. A soft growling from the dark hallway seemed to explain why.

Olivia stood slowly backing away protecting the child and herself. If she knew one thing it was that crazed animals attacked if you ran from them.

Afton got his weapon ready, "Just get behind me." he said to Olivia. "What the hell is that?"

The child gave a real scream now, the terror was tangible. She flung herself at Olivia grabbing the unarmed woman's hand she tried to drag her away. " No! nooo!" The word was unmistakable now. Her eyes were wide and pleading.

Cassandra took aim. Whatever was coming around the end of that corridor was between her and the rest of her team. She saw Afton also react. What came around the corner was nightmarish.

At first, Cassandra thought it was a dog .. a big dog like a Saint Bernard or something. Only if it didn't have any skin and was covered in blood. That was because she hadn't seen the face. Or what served for its face. Cassandra didn't wait for a second glance. She gave the order to fire. Even as she opened fire on the grizzly creature. It let out a shriek as the bullets hit then disappeared back into the dark.

=/\= Barrett, This is Mathews, you have a hostile bogy heading in the direction of our meet-up. It's about the size of an extra large dog, a fast little devil I believe it may be wounded. Copy. =/\=

There was a moment of silence.

=/\= Copy that team leader we are on alert. Be advised we are at the medical station. We seem to have come across a little bit of a problem ourselves. The place has been barricaded from the inside. We are going to need to find another way up. =/\=

Cassandra considered that for a moment. Then said.


=/\= Very well, double back and use the shaft. We will hold the position until you arrive. Relay an update to the Roosevelt. Tell them we are heavy one female child. Have a medical team on standby. Over for now. =/\=

The comm went silent in her earpiece. She watched the darkness like a hawk.

"What is the name of... what was that?" Afton asked giving a shudder. having lowered his weapon after he had fired.

“I have absolutely no idea, but did you see the state of it?” Olivia gave the frightened girl a cuddle. “Whatever anyone does, don’t let that... thing, touch you! No scratches, no bites! It could be infected with something, and I don’t want any of us getting infected with it.”

"That's Delilah." Came a soft teary voice. "Daddy let her up from the mines to kill the bad men." the child sobbed. "It started to kill everyone. E..e.even .. us. We can't stay here it will come back after it eats."

Cassandra had to really hold herself back from asking why they named that creature anything. But she had more pressing questions. The first thing was first. "What's your name kid?" It just seemed wrong to know the ugly critters' names now and not the kids.

"Maybelle." She returned shyly, still clinging to the doctor's hand.

Cassandra walked over putting her gun over her shoulder. She trusted Afton not to let anything sneak up on her. She took a knee next to the kid. "So do you know what this Delilah is? Where it came from? How we might know when it is around?" She was asking the girl but her eyes kept glancing to Olivia to make sure she wasn't asking anything that she shouldn't maybe. From this angle and nearness, Cassandra could make out sea-green eyes under that matted mess of hair covering the sunk-in face. The girl tucked her face into the doctor's hip and gave a sniffle as her thumb slid into her mouth.

"Your not in any trouble sweetheart. Like the doctor here said we are here to help you. Just so happens that you can also help me too. I know you're scared. It's okay. can you tell us if there is anyone else hiding from Delilah that we need to go help maybe?" Cassandra asked a bit more gently.

“It’s okay sweetheart” Olivia smiled warmly. “We won’t let Delilah hurt you, it looks like she might be sick, that’s why she’s attacking people she knows.”

There was silence for a moment and Cassandra not wanting to push the kid all but gave up when the little voice said. "She's not sick. She's just hungry and mad because all the babies in the cave got killed when the ceiling fell down in the mines. That's why Daddy sent the message for help. But the bad men came instead. So daddy opened the mine to make them think we would hide in there for them to follow..."

"That's good, You don't have to tell me more about that okay." Cassandra cut in seeing the hollow look coming back to that face the more she spoke about it. Cassandra could fill in the blanks. "Is there anyone else alive sweetie?"

Maybelle only shook her head. "She ate them all."

"How come she didn't eat you do you think?" Cassandra asked before she could stop herself. It just seemed like very relevant information at the moment.

"Hide and seek." Was all she said before her little thumb slid back into her mouth.

The sounds of the rest of the team reached their ears from the shaft. Cassandra turned to Afton who was still keeping guard. Then to Olivia. "See if you can get her to eat and drink something. Should be a ... Ah here." Cassandra had reached back and grabbed a protein bar and her water pouch. Field munchies for those long-ass days on the trail. The talk about the critter being hungry had made Cassie wonder just when the kid had probably eaten anything last. "Here we go a candy bar for being so helpful. Sorry, all I have is this powder stuff to go in the water, It's not too bad." She handed it to Olivia when the girl didn't reach for it.

It took next to no time to get the rest of the team up the shaft. Even with the addition of 12 more people the atmosphere still felt stiflingly dangerous. Then the screams started from the last team member as they were viciously ripped from the rope below.

There was nothing to shoot and no way to get down fast enough to help. In a few seconds, it stopped abruptly.

Afton just shivered, a bead of sweat trickled down his cheek. He didn't want to lose anyone, and he was sure Mazal was anticipating something like this at all.

Then thankfully the trooper was there and climbing the rope quick as they could. As soon as the team had helped get him up his boot was leaking blood and had tendrils of that strange saliva covering it.

"Doctor..." Cassandra began.

Then all hell broke loose.

The creature dove into the shaft and with claws, it griped into the metal and began to climb. It was met with a hail of phaser fire.

The girl dropped the protein bar she had been munching and broke out into a sprint down the hall.

"Get back." Called Barrett as he pulled a grenade from his side clip and chucked it into the shaft. Into the waiting maw of Delilah who spit it back at them.

The world felt like it slowed down as they all attempted to get out of the blast zone. The chaos concluded with a 'BOOM' That threw them all backwards and left their ears ringing. Delilah was nowhere to be seen. Gone as fast as she had appeared. Cassandra sat up from where she had been thrown. Adrenaline kicked in she turned over quickly to look for the creature and shoot it before it got ahold of any more of the team. The scene was ugly. Barrett had been the closest and had taken the bulk of the blast. Harley in his wisdom had retreated when the shooting had started and thus had saved all their miserable lives in that choice. He was after all carrying the explosives to blow the station to bits.

Cassandra turned her comm to the ship's channel.

=/\=This is team leader Echo to transport. We have a situation down here. We require immediate medical assistance. Please return for premature extraction. I have a tag on a survivor to be beamed to quarantine lock onto mark tag number 1652 when you transport her she will be separate from the team. Over. =/\=

Harley and those others far enough away not to be knocked out by the blast, hurried around to check on the others who seemed to at least thankfully be in one piece still. It was a miracle.

"Harley, when we are beamed back I want you to report to security tactical and have them blow the station from orbit. There are no other survivors and it's not worth putting the team at further risk. We will blow it from the sky."

It was less than ten minutes and the team was beamed away. The tracker Cassandra had planted on the kid made beaming her up just as easy. Harley wasted no time directing the blast with security to destroy the station. To say the mission hadn't gone as planned was an understatement. But it had at least been successful. The station was after all free of pirates and was no longer functioning to entice any further issues. The team though bruised and shaken up and a bit shell-shocked was alive and in one piece. Cassandra thanked the universe for that as she went to prepare her field report for Falk.

Olivia was glad to be back safe, right now her only plan was to make sure their young guest was comfortable and well-fed. Her own needs could wait until after.


Afton was quite happy that the mission was successful for the most part but, saddened at the loss of others. He breathed a sigh of relief glad to be back home.

[OFF]


Corporal Afton
Temporary NPC-Mazal Falk

Corpsman Olivia Steele
Temporary NPC-Lamia Arderne

 

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