Vice Admiral Quinn Reynolds - Unknown Survivor
Quinn Reynolds
((Research and Development Wing, Gibaria Outpost))
The small team of Starfleet officers were on the hunt for the head researcher of the facility, and the data she had in her care. The first obstacle between the team and Var Gamoya was a sealed door. It was not only the physical security measures of the facility keeping standing in the way, either; a red slime mould, a lifeform leaking through the open wound between dimensions, seeped through the cracks and edges.
So far, they knew almost nothing about it, except that the mould had reacted somewhat violently to Spelvan's attempt at a scan, slapping the tricorder out of his hand. He'd suggested a mind meld, but Quinn had gently declined the idea for now; that was an action for much more desperate times.
Reynolds: I like novel ideas; keep coming up with them. But in the meantime, let's exercise that maximum caution and head to the security room.
Valek: ::He turned toward her.:: Admiral, establishing communication with the other teams may prove advantageous.
Spelvan nodded agreement while tapping away at his tricorder as he compiled what they'd learned so far into a brief report for the other teams. Quinn agreed to, though she was averse to calling up the other teams to ask for it. They didn't need the interruption, and she trusted her officers to pass along any important information when they had it.
Reynolds: Our PADDs and tricorders are networked. If they have anything to share, we'll know about it.
Valek: I would be interested to know what they may have discovered, anything that might improve our situation with the mold substances.
Spelvan: I agreed. I have just sent the other teams the information about the substance... or creature... on the door in the meantime.
It was a start, and she had no doubt information would soon start filtering through from the other teams. In the meantime, Valek motioned back the way they came, so they could retread the route back to the security office.
Valek: Admiral, Ensign, I will remain behind to provide security. You may proceed when ready.
That seemed to catch Spelvan a little off guard, perhaps expecting the security officer to take point. She guessed that Valek's logic was that they were retracing their steps to reach the security office, a known journey with (mostly) known factors. Whatever lay behind the door was unknown, and there was no guarantee that someone — or something — wouldn't breach it in their absence.
Spelvan: Understood.
There were advantages to an eidetic memory, and one was that Quinn could remember the layout of the facility. She walked in silence, her mind partially on the situation at hand, partially keeping a wary eye on their surroundings. Along the way, she thought she heard someone cry out, but it was so faint and so indefinable she couldn't be certain.
Then Spelvan shuddered, and she had the sinking feeling she'd heard exactly what she thought.
They turned down a corridor they'd passed on the way to the sealed door, and a short way down it, she — and others — noticed small flecks of crimson in a spotty trail on the floor. Their white-haired doctor scanned it and confirmed exactly what she had hoped it was not.
Spelvan: It does appear to be humanoid blood, sirs.
Reynolds: ::Low,:: We need you up front now, Ensign Valek.
Valek: Response
The lights flickered again, and Quinn looked down the corridor toward their destination. The security room was definitely not secure; the doors fully retracted into the wall, leaving the room wide open. She held back so their security officer could sweep the room first, and then followed inside once safe.
It looked like carnage. A bank of monitors filled one wall, spiderweb cracks filling several screens. Beneath them, consoles spat sparks, the touch panels dark and lifeless. A set of three claw marks raked across the right wall, and on the ground, a pool of blood glistened in the unsteady light, swallowing any embers that landed on its surface.
No one and nothing else was there. At least for now.
Spelvan: ::Quietly,:: I wonder if Gamoya was here, or if it was someone else.
Reynolds: Can you tell from the blood? Even if we can narrow down species, it might give us an idea. It's not the most populous of outposts.
Spelvan / Valek: Response
Reynolds: That much blood, and it's still relatively fresh. ::She frowned and shook her head, sweeping her gaze around the room.:: They can't have gone far. Unless they were carried.
Spelvan / Valek: Response
Commanding Officer
USS Gorkon
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