Ensign Gwen'ora Tasen - Rooted in Place (Part 1)

[Jess - Gwen Tasen]

((Main Bridge, Deck One, USS Astraeus))

Tasen: ::Swallows:: Ensign Tam's life signs are no longer reading as Barzan. ::Sounding somewhat in shock, but loud enough to be heard::

Rosek-Skyfire: Captain, look out!

Gwen flinched at the sound of phaser fire sounded against a person. She was standing rooted in front of her station. Before her eyes was something out of a nightmare. Something that should only reside within view because someone was having one strange nightmare and did research into borg with the wrong cookie before bed. Instead this was Gwen's view while she knew well that she was awake.

Rosek-Skyfire: Matthews! Get the Captain out of here!

Matthews: Sir, come on! Captain, we need to get to cover. ::pause:: Sir?! I’ll move you if I have to!

Their voices were there and she could see them but no matter how hard Gwen tugged at herself she felt frozen. Like someone had come and poured a chemical over her legs and made them like tree trunks. This was worse than anything. People on the same side didn't do this. Tam shouldn't be shooting at them. Borg didn't pop out of nowhere in a person.

Mei’konda: Matthews, Rosek, I can taake care of myself!! Haandle the situation! Try to contaain Ensign Tam!

Caldwell: I don't have a clean shot!

Gwen desperately tried to cling to the science implications of a borg appearing out of thin air in a person but another phaser blast rang out in the air. Those tree trunks she had for legs seem to root even further. All she could do was stand at her console and watch as shots rang and people ducked. Fear was wrapped squarely around her. Squeezing her and holding her in place as if it was fertilizer for the legs she felt were tree trunks.

Matthews: Phasers seem ineffective… Damn.

Another shot rang out, having the same effect on the Ba'ku woman who realized today that she had not realized what she was getting into fully till now when she took up being a Starfleet officer.

Matthews: Tasen? Gwen? Gwen?! Are you in cover?

She didn't know if it was her name or the voice or the sound that someone had reminded her she wasn't watching a nightmare but was actually standing off to the side of one. But something in the yell at her broke her from the hold of the sudden onslaught of fear and uncertainty that had rooted her in place.

Tasen: N-no, but I'll get there!

oO So much for doing good...I...didn't think it would be like this... Oo

Gwen quickly surveyed her situation. She had stood and was standing in front of the science and scanner consoles like a lemon tree. Right...not cover. The chair would offer no cover and from where Tam was. So the woman quickly rushed to duck towards the front side of the Operations Management console and knelt down as she cautiously pulled the phaser from the holster she had kept it in on her hip since Engineering.

Tam: ELIMINATE ALL UNASSIMILATED. ELIMINATE ALL UNASSIMILATED. ELIMINATE ALL UNASSIMILATED.

Caldwell: Level 3's no good!  

Rosek-Skyfire: Increase to level 5!  Caldwell! Get your head in the game! Get an angle and fire!

Caldwell: Response

Matthews: Sir. We need to do something.

Gwen looked quickly down at the phaser in her hands at the settings as she flicked it to five. With the metaphorical roots shaken from her she could move...she could do what she needed to do. She had to shoot Tam...or any other borg crewmates. She had to do her job. Even though dear god she had thought she was going to be exploring and science. Not this...

Rosek-Skyfire: ::shouts:: I’m pinned! If anyone has a better angle, take it!

Tasen: Y-yes sir!

Caldwell: Responses

Gwen bit her lip and shifted from her position behind the column that held up the Operations Management console. The woman aimed at Tam and swallowed as she hesitated for a moment before shooting towards Tam. It missed but at least she was a distraction, right? Her parents' voice rang through her head talking about the Son'a and their beginnings and just swallowed, shoving the thoughts in the back of her head. She wasn't going to become like them for fighting people...she was better than that and was starfleet...and Gwen. She knew herself well enough.

oO I'm sorry Tam... Oo

Matthews: Sir, honestly, I’m tempted to just rush her and take the chance if it means someone else can get a good shot at her. ::pause:: If we can get near enough, we might be able to disarm her. Otherwise, we’re stuck here.

Mei’konda: Stay low! Use the arch as cover! And whoever can reaach the controls, ready the transporters!

Transporters! Gwen looked towards where the Captain was and quickly nodded. She wouldn't have to shoot at a colleague again...

Matthews: To what end, Captain? For us to beam away or for us to beam her away? We can’t let a Borg have the Bridge. And we need to know what else is going on elsewhere, internally and externally. To pull it off, we’d need to either stop her or distract her. At this point, I don’t know which is easier.

Mei’konda: Lieutenant! We do not have the tiime for this conversaation! I’ll go for a panel, Tasen, you do the saame! One of us will be aable to lock on to her! Matthews, Caldwell, you and Rosek distraact her! If we can lock on, we will beaam her to an empty cargo bay!

Gwen had turned her gaze from the two as they spoke, her gaze staying on Ensign Tam, ready to shoot as she needed, but as the orders came her way she turned and looked at the Captain, emerald gaze alight with determination and nodded.

Rosek-Skyfire / Matthews: Response

Tasen: To a cargo bay...yes sir!

Caldwell: Responses

Days like this tested a person right? That was what she had been told in academy when they had ran through training situations in that emergency class. She didn't think they had ever said every terrible incident would happen in on span of 24 hours.

Gwen didn't let herself dwell on it as she darted around the operations console as the captain dashed to his chair. She could rush back towards her console but this was closer and had better cover. The woman quickly shifted the chair so that it provided some sort of cover as she stayed knelt somewhat in front of it. Only staying tall enough so she could see the console.

The woman's hands were shaking as they danced across the console. She initially started trying to lock onto the woman like normal, however as she started to work she remembered she was trying to transport more than just Ensign Tam. She was now a borg...somehow. Gwen didn't dwell on that but adjusted the transporter lock to adjust. Initially connecting based on her badge and adding adjustments to account for the fact she wasn't herself anymore. But a borg drone. Gwen swallowed as she tried to remember the various necessities of transporting a drone.

In the end, she didn't know for sure who got the transporters to lock onto her first but what matter was the fact that when Gwen looked back, the Ensign was wrapped in the blue of the transporters before she vanished.

Mei’konda: … Get me status reports on the rest of the ship immediaately, Commander Rosek. Is everyone all riight?

Gwen stayed hunched for a moment before she stood. Swallowing as she glanced around at the others as she quickly picked up the phaser from where she had sat it and slid it back onto her belt. As soon as it was away Gwen realized just how bad her hands were shaking still.

Rosek-Skyfire: ::grimaces and grips her side:: I’ll live–for now. :taps something into the console quickly:: Working on those status reports, sir. Give me a minute.

Matthews: Response

Tasen: I'm...fine, Sir. ::Clasping her hands together to hide the shaking::

Caldwell: Responses

Rosek-Skyfire: Casualty reports coming in, sir! ::exhales:: Three fatalities so far. The rest look like they range from minor to severe. ::to Caldwell:: See if you can get in touch with Sickbay. I’m having a hard time raising them.

Caldwell: Response

Rosek-Skyfire: ::brow furrows:: Engineering teams appear to have evacuated, sir.

Mei’konda: Lieutenant Ral’s teams have evacuaated Engineering? Computer, locate Wyatt Ral.

Computer: Lieutenant Wyatt Ral is on deck nine, Stellar Cartography.

Mei’konda: Lieutenants, I know research aren’t exaactly your fields, but I need you to compiile whatever data on who has been affected. Find out what they have in common. It cannot be as siimple as what race they are, where they’ve vacaationed, what species they are… our initial reports have no rhyme or reason.

Matthews / Caldwell: Responses

Gwen realized she was still standing at the operations console and quickly started walking to her own console, moving to check on the science and sensor consoles, verifying they were fine from the phaser fire.

Mei’konda: Ensign Tasen, I need you to fiind a way to burn through the interference out there. Prioritiize giving me the status of the Home Fleet at Sol station. We need to see if they’ve been affected as well, and whether or not the siignal out there might have something to do with it.

Tasen: Yes sir.

With a quick turn, Gwen stared at the console for a moment before the woman sat down back at the sensor console like before. She was glad the time of holding her hands tight together had alleviate the shaking. This honestly gave her the chance to focus on something besides her nerves. It was science...it was work. Which meant it was something she could focus on that wasn't the insanity of this mission.

oO I am going to have to get used to this? Others didn't exactly seem used to it...maybe I'm not terrible for freezing... Oo

Mei’konda: Commander Rosek, taake the Engineering station. Find out what our status is, and give me a count of who many are left down there, as well as… if they are in the same state as Ensign Tam. And, contaact our erstwhile Chief Engineer and whoever else he’s with as soon as possible. We need to coordinaate with him to take back Main Engineering, and we must also regaiin contact with Sickbay.

Rosek-Skyfire: ::nods:: Aye, sir.

Mei’konda: Yes. I’ll taake Mission Ops. See who I can start beamiing to Tam’s cargo bay, and assumiing they’re functional, I’ll get force fields up and secure that hold. Work fast, everyone.

Rosek-Skyfire: ::taps her commbadge:: =/\= Rosek to Ral. =/\=

Gwen'ora looked back at her console as she tuned out the work that Commander Rosek-Skyfire was performing. She had her own work to do. The interference still had her console looking like it was a static mess on the readings end. Her console was still functioning, so Gwen started quickly running through various settings. Whatever modulation of frequencies that their sensor relay was being hit with had to be causing this. So she needed to adapt the sensors to not be bothered. She could set it to attempt to automatically recalibrate but she doubted the computer would do it as quickly as they needed it. Which was probably 3 minutes ago. With a soft sigh, Gwen continued to work. Her fingers danced across the settings as she tried to adjust the sensors just enough so they could function with the interference present.

Tasen: ::muttering to herself as she works:: Okay...so if I shift this here, that clears it up some. Maybe...::her mumbles continue on under her breath, some choice words beneath her breath::

Matthews / Caldwell: Response

Gwen continued to work through the interference, taking a hunch here or there but typically following the data and how one change was making the sensors worse or better. It was so very easy to fall into the science of it all. Trial and error and banking on theories versus actual changes. If she could strive here...maybe eventually she could thrive in the crazy of whatever today was. 

TBC

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Ensign Gwen'ora Tasen

Science Officer

USS Astraeus, NCC-70652

A240105GT2