Discovering the Unknown (Part 2)
Posted on Thu Jun 10th, 2021 @ 5:23pm by Captain Dirk Taggart & Lieutenant Commander Deannen Roinu & Lieutenant Commander Arianna Sky Kamar & Major Naomi Sylan Griffiths & Lieutenant Shri'Rao Sh'veqan & Lieutenant Commander James Trallos MD & Lieutenant Adora (Addie) Hart & Lieutenant JG Simon Hunter & Lieutenant JG Vespa Kale
Mission:
Season Two - Incidentals
Location: Inside the Nebula
Captain Taggart sat gripping the armrest on his Captain's Chair so hard his knuckles were white. He wasn't scared just nervous about being in an unknown entity. He'd studied various reports on Starships travelling through Nebulas and everyone had its own issues based on the makeup of the cloud. He was just beginning to think they may just pass through without incident when reports began to flow to the bridge.
Strangely Griffiths was sitting calmly in her seat next to the Captain and she looked over and saw him gripping the seat so tight his knuckles were white, she leaned over and quietly spoke "Relax Captain, the vacuum of space is not the killer it is the fright of knowing you are going to die that stops your heart. Nebulas are not that dangerous anymore as emergency forcefield ould drop into place should we get a hull breach on the bridge" she said.
Taggart smiled at the Major's ease, he wasn't sure why but he just felt full of pent up energy, he blamed it on the situation and rush of adrenaline."Major, I appreciate the humour but let's not start down the road of worst-case scenarios."
She nodded and was about to say something else when the ship automatically went to Red Alert and incident reports started to flow into the bridge.
"Dammit, I spoke too soon" looks at the Captain "I know I jinxed us," she said with grim humour and rushed to the secondary Security station and pulled up the information "Captain it seems we have been boarded... NO wait it seems the crew on the lower decks have begun fighting each other, despatching armed security teams, to contain the trouble," she said and read further information "Also, it seems the engines are not responding properly, engineering reports they are on it" she paused.
'So it begins' Taggart thought to himself as the reports began rolling in. "Major, let's gather some Intel before making any hasty decisions."
"Shall I prepare a probe Captain"? Shri'Rao asked.
With that she stood up and looked at the Science chief "Lieutenant Kale, can you detect if we have some foreign toxins getting past our biofilters and if so is it what is affecting our crew, we need answers" Griffiths said.
"I can begin to catalogue the emissions that are coming through the filters. If they're unknown, then it'll take some time to figure out what exactly..."
"... they are. THAT... I can't do it from here. Detection I can do, classification I'd need the laboratory." she started her scan, "This might take a few minutes."
Rouni had noticed more anger and other emotions on the Bridge. She was tenser and also having some trouble controlling her emotions as well. Being telepath she was hearing the thoughts of others on the ship. Normally she was able to block the thoughts from others and stay on curse with what she was doing. She also noticed she was having small glimpses of anger toward others and what they were thinking about her.
"I am doing the best I can to maintain control of the ship and to avoid the Nebula. Everyone quit snapping at me."
"Fek'lar, there go the engines again! =/\= Engineering, What is the name of Kahless is going on? Do I have to come down there and teach you what to do? Damn it you all know how to fix the engines!=/\= Arianna growled loudly. Yes whatever it was that had started to make itself known, got to Arianna fast as she did have a Klingon temper. "Captain, whatever this nebula is, it's making the engines uncooperative as in not complying with the computer. I told you before that nebulas mess with ships in different ways....well this is part of it," Arianna said stiffly.
From where she currently was Naomi was feeling some increased emotions and felt that the atmosphere on the bridge was getting heated and when one of the crew snapped a retort she thought oO Oh hell! Oo and in response to the Captain "I am only reporting what the screens are telling me Captain" she responded.
James heard Arianna and was not surprised one bit. She could have a temper and if the engines of the ship were causing all this stress, he would be ready to take a hammer to the engines and her crew as well. He was about to mention something to her about not filling his sickbay with her lessons when his thoughts were interrupted. =/\= Medical to Dr Trallos. Please report to sickbay. Multiple injuries.=/\=. The doctor bowed his head a second. =/\=Acknowledged.=/\= He sighed. oO Probably crewman Brown taking a whole raft of people with the safeties off again. Oo he thought walking around to the command level. He looked at the Major. "It appears duty calls. Thank you for the view Major." He then moved his attention to the Captain. "Captain, ill report back to sickbay with your permission."
She nods "not a problem Doctor, hopes it is basic injuries and nothing to do with our current predicament" Griffiths responded as the CMO left the bridge, she returned to monitoring the secondary tactical station.
"Sir, my reading on the sensors are coming in double," replied Simon as the reading was being sent down to a science Lab, He continued, " I don't know why these were not checked when we were in Port," as he would need to find out when the Sensors were last upgraded or were due to be upgraded.
Interesting Fact, an angry Dalacari stare does in fact happen in sync. The twin forms of Vespa Kale glared at Simon, "And what do you mean by that?? I don't appreciate such language."
Addie shivered suddenly. It didn't take an empath to feel the rise in tempers across the ship, the change was so prolific even she could feel it. "Captain, something is very wrong with this situation," she said quietly. "I think we need to leave this area."
"I couldn't agree more!" Arianna said angrily. "This damn thing is messing with my systems and engines," she added quite nasty. She was feeling edgy and aggravated. It was like someone was needling her nerves.
The Captain sensed the growing tension but attributed it to the situation and not external forces. He stood in the centre of the bridge and spoke gruffly, "Listen we are Starfleet Officers here to do a damn job and we're going to damn well get it done. Engineering I want those running enough to get the hell out of here. If I have to the Major or myself will personally come down there to assist and supervise. Science, Operations, Helm, whoever you are I don't care! I want intelligence I can act on, Is it safer to push through the Nebula or should we change course? Is the ship even responding Helm or are our sensors faulty?" Noticing his rising temper he sat in his chair and waited to see who would act first.
Rouni got frustrated and threw a drink she had at a blank section on the bulkhead where it smashed but did not damage anything. "Captain we are in the nebula as we speak and I could not stop it. I did everything I can think of to stop it but the ship does not respond. I have never seen anything like this before. I am did everything I can but nothing worked."
"If I had working engines we wouldn't be in this nebula in the first place. I warned you long ago about nebulas, but no you didn't listen. And now look at what is happening, helm, engines, sensors, computer, and there are others including the fact we are all SNAPPING at each other! What is wrong with this picture captain?" Arianna growled at the captain. She was on the verge of insubordination but there was a force driving the crew's anger and frustrations. Something had ignited her anger and she had to figure out what it was.
Vespa turned on both her heels to look over at Arianna, "Of course, THERE it is. We all should have just listened to YOU. You warned us because you're the Nebula Expert. What's wrong with this picture is..."
"... there's some single instance upstart who can't keep her engines under control trying to do MY job while failing at her own. Typical Single-Stranded..."
"... mindset of the whole of creation revolves around me." she paused, "I'm TWICE the scientist you are, and if I couldn't predict the future of what this..."
"... nebula was, then how in Dia's mercies do you think you could have?" wow, that was a snarl coming from Vespa's other form.
Arianna was rabid by now and her temper was not helping either. Glaring at the two forms of Vespa, " Just a minute, whose idea was it in the first place to go looking at this nebula? It certainly WASN'T ME!", she growled menacingly. *looks at the captain*
"Afraid of a little exploration?" the pair called off simultaneously, not even waiting for the captain to come to her aid. "And here I thought you were all supposed to be explorers..." one commented, before giving a huff and turning her backs on the rabid hybrid.
Standing up straight Naomi looked at the squabbling pair "Stop it both of you before I bash your heads together" Griffiths angrily said, "you are behaving like a bunch of kids, now grow up and get control of your emotions!" She added.
Rouni ponded the control panel with her fists. Why can't Engineering make her controls work as they ship? "Engineering I need the flight controls brought back online and in working order if I am to fly this ship as I need to.
Captain, it appears the nebula is pulling us deeper inside of it to make it harder to be able to escape from it. Perhaps firing some phasers at low power may give the nebula a little heartburn causing it to burp us out of it. Similar to when a humanoid species vomit when it eats something that does not agree with it."
"Pull it together, your damn officers," Taggart growled. "You're acting like a bunch of hormonal teenagers. Take a deep breath and do your jobs. Operations, see where you can help Engineering. Security I don't want any fights breaking out through the ship, I don't care what you have to do just get it under control. Science work with Medical to see why the hell everyone is on edge. Major Griffiths, you and I will maintain peace on the bridge and help out wherever we are needed."
Looking up in surprise at the Captain she walked over to him and spoke quietly "Captain I do believe you have been affected with whatever is happening to the crew, you cannot afford to lose control, what is happening is not the crew's fault. I too am feeling angry but I am using all my will not to rant and rave at the crew, we have to set the example" Griffiths said.
"I believe you are right, Major, " he gripped the arms on the chair out of frustration as he focused to calm himself down. "Any other advice Ma'am?" He asked his first officer.
Continue to speak quietly "well, if you feel such anger picture your worst enemy losing their head over and over again with a surprised look on their face, or simply take a deep breath count to ten and remind yourself as the Commander of the ship it is your job to keep a level head and not succumb to your baser instincts," Griffiths said.
"I'm sure a good Marine like yourself has no rage issues, Miss Perfect," Taggert said smartly to himself trying to control the growing rage.
Arianna'fists came down fast and hard on the engineering console making it retaliate by showing sparks. "FEK'LAR!," she said and headed for the lift and engineering. "I'll be back, I don't need to be here to fix your bloody navigational systems, you pompous Helm Officer. As for you my friend," pointing at the twin forms of the Dalacari, "Stick to your science stuff and stay out of engineerings way! Got it?" she sneered, as the doors of the lift closed.
Griffiths looked up from where she was "oh brother an angry Klingon, I feel sorry for those who upset her as it would not go well for the agitator, well not in the current situation. She looked to the Captain "we need to get out of this nebula soon Captain or due to its effects you are going to have a mutiny on your hands" Griffiths said to her Captain.
=/\= Sickbay to Bridge. I need security down here on the double. There was a brawl in my sickbay and I've got six crew sedated.=/\= a commotion cut off the sentence followed by a thump. =/\=I said none for that in my sickbay! *pause* Sickbay to bridge. Correction, six sedated and one unconsciousness...and a doctor with more than likely a fractured hand.=/\=
Addie could feel the tension rising, tightening her whole body, almost like a violin string being pulled beyond its means. Tighter and tighter until she felt like she might snap. She could hear her own blood rushing through her veins, feel her heart beating loudly, drowning out every other sound on the bridge around her.
Then it happened. Almost like someone unmuting an extra loud movie, a sudden rushing explosion that assaulted her senses. Not just sound, but thoughts, emotions, anger. So much anger.
It overwhelmed her.
She could feel the anger of the Klingon, of the Dalacari, of the Captain, the anger of every member of the ship amplified through her, making her disorientated. Reaching out, she grabbed the nearest console to steady herself before covering her ears with her hands, the noise on the bridge shattered by an ear-piercing scream of pain.
Taggert jumped from his chair, adrenaline pumping with growing rage made his movements appear explosive. He grabbed the Counselor’s shoulder before speaking, "Lieutenant, if you can't control yourself you had better leave the bridge before I have Sh'veqan remove you."
Sheer white-hot rage surged through her veins. She could feel his anger before he had even moved, but the physical contact, the touch of his hand on her shoulder was like an amplifier, multiplying the rage, almost as if he were somehow siphoning his anger, along with everyone else's into her. She turned suddenly to face him, brushing his hand from her shoulder, adrenalin pushing her forward. "YOU!" she spat venomously. "This is your fault!" Before he, or anyone else, could react, Addie reached out, delivering a stinging slap to his cheek right before he caught her wrist in his hand. "I told you!" Another slap, this time with the other hand. "We shouldn't be here!"
Then Rouni turned around to them and shouted. "If we want to get out of here we must work as a crew. It appears this nebula gains strength from anger as the crew's fight with each other. If we can control our emotions and work together we can get out of this situation."
Walking over to the nearest First Aid station and grabbing a hypo Griffiths walked over to Hart and injected her with a knock-out serum, the Lieutenant crumpled but Griffiths caught her and dropped the hypo as she picked up the Counsellor she looked to the Captain "are you going to be able to control your temper Captain or am I going to have to render you unconscious too?" She asked then looked at the unconscious Hart "I had to lock her out, she was feeling everyone's anger and pain and it was affecting her, I will take her to medical, at least asleep she will not feel any of our anger" Griffiths said she knew it was extreme, but she saw the Counsellor go into meltdown and while she was also affected, she was still currently able to control her temper, but it was getting harder to she was glad she was not an empath like Hart and hoped that the hypo would keep her in blissful sleep a good amount of time, now she made her way to the lift and as she entered it she looked back "I believe in action Captain" she said.
That... caught Vespa's attention. Fur bristled, ears folded back, "Right, do what YOU say, or what... you'll kill us?" she motioned to the motionless body of the Counselor. A single injection from the med kit, and the counselor was removed as a threat. Simple, easy, repeatable.
"She 'SAYS' she's asleep, but she just wants to be in charge. Took out the screamer fast enough." the Dalacari condemned.
Taggert stood on the bridge and was stunned by the events that led to the chaos on the bridge. The Major was right he needed to get things under control.
-Continued on Discovering the Unknown (Part 3)