[SD] LtCmdr Sky Blake, "Infection."

[Deliera Jay]

((Turbolift))

Blake: I've just done my twelfth sweep of this ship, but at least two of my people have had anxiety attacks over the last couple of days. ::to the computer:: Deck 11.

Delano: Your team isn’t alone. Sickbay reports treating seven crew members for similar issues over the last 24 hours. ​With the long shifts, the temporal displacement, and our little encounter with the Borg, I don't think anyone's surprised. Unfortunately, with Dugoras off ship, the medical staff can’t offer them much beyond medications and prescribed rest. :: beat :: Do you think your team will be ready if we have a problem?

Blake: We're ready as much as we can. But with this whole Omega situation on top of the Borg, I'm not sure the ship is at it's best. ::She paused.:: Remind me to ask Thoran to check on the environmentals on deck 7. Even I can tell it's starting to get a little warm.

Delano: Might be the computer acting up, but run an extra sweep on Deck 7 just to be sure. :: beat :: Lieutenant Thoran’s off ship, but Carter Greyson’s heading up damage control in his absence. I’m on my way to engineering, so I’ll run the request by him when I stop by engineering. Anything else to report?

::The doors of the turbolift opened on Deck 8, engineering teams completing repairs to the power grid that had been blown out. With the ship's history, it wasn't an unusual sight for the Brekkazoid, but generally all the consoles wouldn't have an Omega symbol stuck up on them and they'd be in familiar territory.

::Well. They *sort of* were in familiar territory.::

Blake: I've got one person whom hasn't checked in yet and I'm about to head down to check on them. Barring that, I'm as free as I can be. Need me anywhere?

::He thought for a moment.::

Delano: Go ahead and check up on your missing person and keep me informed. With any luck, they’ve just misplaced their combadge. Once that’s done, I’m sure Commander Blair would appreciate your help getting our computer back under control.

::She gave a small grin.::

Blake: What's the bet we've tried everything but switch the computer on and off again.

::There was a moment of pause again.::

Blake: I'll head that way once I've found Rhee.

::The acting captain tugged down on his uniform jacket as he stepped out of the turbolift, Sky crossing her arms around herself to shield against cold air again.::

Delano: Thanks for the update, Commander. See you soon.

::And as he walked away, she looked back towards the repairs, the turbolift doors closing.::

Blake: Here's hoping.

((Deck 11, ventral sensor dome))

::Whatever she expected deck 11 to look like - darkened, quiet, an ominous noise in the background - wasn't what it *actually* looked like.

::It looked like deck 11. Nothing here was of use to her - she'd rarely set foot on one of the lowest decks of the Veritas, purely because her duties never required her down here.::

::The turbolift deposited her a few corridors away from the sensor dome, where the computer claimed Petty Officer Rhee was last located. She passed two crewmen on their way to the turbolift, chatting vaguely at the dodgy environmental controls on the deck.

::And the closer Sky ventured to the doors of the sensor dome, rounding two more corridors, she understood exactly what the crewmen were talking about. Wearing three layers, she pulled off her tunic, again feeling the heat of the malfunctioning environmentals on this deck, tying her gold tunic around her waist and leaving the grey singlet underneath.

::When she rounded another corner, Blake had her hand resting on her Aquila in it's holster.

::But then she found him. And she gave a sigh of relief.::

Blake: Noree, Rhee - you have a combadge for a reason. We've been calling you for-

::The man stood there, knuckles white as they clasped his tricorder. He was shaking, and as Sky approached him, only his eyes moved to acknowledge her.::

Blake: Yu-jin?

::He shuddered, eyes looking back at the door to the sensor dome.::

Blake: Yu-jin, what's wrong?

::What had once been shallow breathing turned fast and deep, his voice but a frantic whiser.::

Rhee: ...we're all going to die!

::The hand she'd taken off her Aquila returned to it as she stood between Yu-jin and the door.::

Blake: What are you talking about?

::One of his fingers slowly pried up from the tricorder to point in the direction of the door behind her.::

::One word. Just one word to undermine the work they'd done over the last handful of days. One word that had the crew on edge the second they'd encountered that cube.::

Rhee: ....Borg!

::Unable to do anything for Rhee this moment, she pulled the Aquila up from it's holster, turning and marching to be within proximity of the door, causing it to open in response to her presence.

::A green hue fell onto Blake's skin. An awfully comfortable environment awaited her in the control room for the sensor dome, temperature warm and lighting low. But beyond that, she had found the darkened room with the ominous background noises she'd been waiting for earlier.::

::Technology she'd never seen before stretched across the back bulkhead, having overridden what once had been the familiar Starfleet control scheme. Against her better judgement, she crept forward, getting a closer look at the extent of what looked like an "infection". She could see no other humanoids, could hear no movement but her own footsteps. No "alcoves"  for people to step into, as some of the crew had spoken of.

::Blake had never seen anything like this before. Yu-jin had context to the fear he felt towards this interface - it was drilled into likely from the moment he stepped out of training. Blake, however, unfamiliar with many things outside the Shoals and having only heard of certain horrors through word of mouth, couldn't conceive of the terror that may await them.::

::Aside from a temperature increase, she couldn't determine anything else the Borg had tampered with thus far - not without getting closer. She wasn't about to go pushing buttons just yet, and she had no intention of provoking whatever this thing was. And since it hadn't done anything hostile to them yet, she figured the Veritas could continue to cope on it's own for a minute while she kicked everyone into action.

Blake: Rhee?

::She turned back, the Terran still standing there stock still and shaking, having not even moved an inch. She stood taller, taking a commanding stature as she approached him, the casual tone of voice she generally used now gone in favour of a stronger sound.::

Blake: Are you injured?

::His eyes flickered back to her, but he emitted no response. She repeated herself, louder again and her eyes cold and hard as she addressed him.::

Blake: Mister Rhee - *are you injured*?

Rhee: N-n-n-no...

Blake: Did you touch it?

Rhee: N-no!

::Than he was fine for now.::

Blake: Report to Sickbay. Help lock it down and stay there.

Rhee: S-sir?

Blake: You heard me. You do not leave deck 6 unless I tell you to. And if you're not there within the next five minutes, we're going to have a problem. Now *move*!

::Finally, his limbs kicked into gear, and the man bolted out of the corridor. Sky turned back to look at the Borg infection and tapped her combadge.::

Blake: =/\= Blake to security. Evacuate deck 11. =/\=

Tbc . . .

LtCmdr Sky Blake

Chief of Security

USS Veritas

C238803SB0