Lt Cmdr Naledi - Viral Vines

[Naledi]

((Corridor, Gibaria Outpost))

The Gibaria research outpost had proven as difficult as Naledi had expected it to be. A seething red portal to what appeared to be the human concept of hell was hardly ever going to be a positive day all around. However, a less than expected issue was not the astounding amount of energy emanating from the portal itself, but rather the plant life that Naledi could only assume resided on the other side. So far, it appeared to react in exact magnitude to what the team did to them, but the solution wasn’t as simple as leaving them alone. Their mission was to clear them to create a path to the portal. They had to succeed, so they had to find a way to clear the plants.

 

Sevo: It’s risky. If they have a fight-or-flight response they might try and fight back.

Neathler: We already know they react on touch.

Finch: Indeed, so that doesn’t leave us many options.

Sevo: Alternatively, we can take some time to analyze them; see what makes them tick. Maybe we can find a more scientific way to stop these things.

Neathler: Or we’ll find some answers in those labs, we have to clear them anyway.

Naledi: Pew Pop Crack Snap… It would prefer analysing the data that already lies in the labs. It is sure another team can analyse better than us. None of us are scientists.

 

Whilst obtaining more primary data would help them, they were not in the best position to collect it. However, the outpost scientists were sure to have left them something.

 

Sevo: Well, we’re kind of on a time limit here, so as loath as I am to skip a fascinating scientific study, I’d say we try the phasers first. See if we can just cut through them.

Although Naledi loathed the idea of using phasers on the vines, it seemed there were few options available to them.

Neathler: How about we clear the first two labs, see if there’s anything in there we can use. We can fire at those things when they’re really blocking us.

Naledi: Crick Snap Pop Hiss.. A sound suggestion. It recommends a fine penetration beam as a phaser setting.

 

Sevo: Maybe we can find some isolated samples to test on in one of these labs. 

Finch: They’re dry labs, so there may already be computer-generated models or simulations we can take a peek at, assuming that the poor sods had time to even analyse anything.

Commander Neather looked as if they were going to reach for the glossy display that Naledi only assumed would open the door that laid before them. But they stopped.

Neathler: There’s bloody fingerprints on there.

 

Their observation was correct, but not uncommon for the environment.

 

Naledi: Crick Snap Pop… We have seen this before, why stop now?

Neathler: These bloodprints are all from the same person. 

 

Naledi unholstered their tricorder as they had done before. The trace elements in the blood in addition to the print markings showed that these were identical prints.

Naledi: Crick Snap Pop Hiss… Confirmed, these are identical.

Sevo: Judging by the decay rate, this one was created shortly before the one in the corridor. The owner was heading that way.

Finch: Commander Naledi, can you discern who the blood belongs to?

 

Naledi accessed their miniature PADD. On the Thor they were able to access outpost computers. They assumed that the protocols on the Gorkon wouldn’t be too different. Being the Director of Strategic Operations did allow them to pull certain strings with sector intelligence.

Naledi: Pop Pew Snap… These prints belong to outpost scientist “Klair Novau”, a Kantare.

Sevo: Confirmed. ::She read aloud key details about the person. :: Klair Novau, Kantare. Female, 31 years old. Junior scientist studying multidimensional physics.

Finch: If this is where she worked then she might have been a data analyst, or engaged in computational modelling.

Naledi: Crick Chirp Snap Pop… Kantare are well known for creating holographic imagery. Perhaps they used those skills to create a defence against the vines?

 

As far as Naledi was aware, plants couldn’t eat through illusions. Perhaps that was the advantage they were looking for?

Sevo: There’s no photonic activity in the area that I can detect; besides, with the power issues — ::She nodded to the lights which were flickering::  — such complex holograms couldn’t be maintained with the current power levels.

Finch: Quite right. Even without power issues, they’d want to conserve as much power as possible. A multidimensional gate doesn’t feed easy.

 

Perhaps it wasn’t supposed to? A multidimensional gate would have been a massive source of power, if utilised properly. If they built it for energy, surely they would have shut down a few systems to get it running properly.

With the anomalous wormhole around starbase 80, what other reason would there be to create such a device?

Sevo: What’s bothering me is we haven’t seen a body on our way in. And this Novau hasn’t shown up on the medbay’s patient roster so far. ::She checked the information streaming from the medbay team, making sure.:: So where did she go?

A whistling noise came from Commander Finch as her shoulders rolled in a shrugging motion.

Finch: She might have made her way to the experimental wing, getting the doors to the complex closed on her way through.

Neathler: This place should hardly hold any secrets to those working here, maybe she found another way out.

Naledi: Pew Crick Snap… Perhaps you are right.

Sevo: A mystery for another time, maybe. Right now, we need to focus on getting through these…things. ::Nodding to the vines.:: Best bet is to start in the labs. See what we can find.

 

Perhaps Commander Sevo was right, however knowing how they navigated the base could give them an advantage should the plants become more hostile. There was no body, no signs of a struggle, no pile of blood on the floor, just the handprints. If there was a hatch or an escape route, they may have been able to bypass clearing the plants to get to the labs altogether. It was something they would not be able to find out if they moved on too quickly.

Finch: That’s the plan! Check them out and if there is anyone or anything inside, seal them off. The goal being to create a singular and safe direction to and from the gate so that there aren’t any complications along the way for whoever heads inside.

Neathler: And perhaps along the way discover something that might help to reach our own goal or to help out the other teams.

Sevo: This first lab here — ::Gesturing to the wall with the bloody handprint.::  — has a door just around the corner, unblocked by these…things. We might be able to get inside and maybe find a path around as well.

Finch: Very well, we’ll try the other door.

The group moved slowly down the corridor, until they came to another door that would have led to the same room as the other door, only it was hoped this one would be persuaded to open.

Straight away, this panel was different. Not only was it cleaner of debris and dust around the rim of the panel. However, according to Naledi’s tricorder, it was also free from blood or other biological compounds.

 

Naledi: Crick Snap Pop… It seems that they did not use this door as much.

Sevo: Response

 

After they were satisfied with their scans, Commander Neather opened the door, and as the Chief of SecTac for the Gorkon, it was their job to take point and ensure the room was clear.

As Naledi acted in a similar capacity on the USS Thor, they stayed behind, creating a sandwich. Should they suddenly be ambushed from the rear, they would not fall victim as many others had here.

The other members of the team filled into the room, before Naledi went through themselves.

Finch: There’s no one in here. It’s just us.

 

As Naledi stepped through the threshold, little was noticeable. Aside form the terminals lining the wall nearest the corridor and displays of readouts in the centre of the room, there was an absence of any living activity. Most of the computers were also dead, all except one. It was roughly the same concentration of “barrenness” as the rest of the outpost, if that was a word, or the amount of “Barren” in a room could be easily quantifiable.

 

Naledi: Crick Snap Pop Hiss… Your assessment appears to be true.

Sevo: Response

Holstering their tricorder, Naledi made a beeline for the active computer, putting their miniature PADD into their palp. The possibility of additional information being stored on that computers mainframe was not at zero percent. Meanwhile, Commander Neather appeared to scan the room visually themselves, just as Naledi had done in the corridor.

Neathler: It doesn’t appear that Novau entered the room.

Naledi: Crick Pop Snap Hiss… The mainframes logs confirm that nobody by that name has entered this room is quite some time. Crick Snap Pop Pew… It is possible that the subject tripped and caught themselves on the panel.

Finch / Sevo: Response

Neathler: Any luck on that computer?

 

Turning away from the terminal, Naledi was satisfied that the link between the computer and their PADD had been completed, and the upload process was well underway.

Naledi: Pew Pop Crack Snap Hiss… Uplink is secure. Information is being processed.

Finch / Sevo: Response

As the SecTac Lt Commander moved around the room, Naledi looked deeply at the information coming in. They needed something to present to the rest of the team. Something useful.

 

Neathler: Whatever is on that computer, our time is running out, the vines are trying to lock us in.

 

A bleep alerted Naledi down to their PADD.

 

Naledi: Pop Crack Hiss Snap Crack Chirp… Lock, This section of the outpost was quarantined following an outbreak of a disease that was brought to the planet on contaminated foodstock. Very few crew were left here during that process. One of whom was Klair Novau.

 

Finch / Sevo / Neather: Response

 

Naledi: Pew Pop Snap Crackle… It is possible that trans-dimensional energy from the portal is feeding the contamination, mutating it into something worse than it was. It would explain the density of vines as we go deeper into the outpost.

 

Perhaps the cargo bay in which the contaminated stock originally came was along this corridor? But how would they get past there? Were there vines growing from the portal? Did they somehow combine into something worse?

 

Finch / Sevo / Neather: Response

 

Naledi: Chirp Snap Pop Hiss… The contamination was viral in nature, meaning that the plants would be more vulnerable to anti-viral medications than usual. It is not a doctor, it cannot supply more information than that for virus.

 

Finch / Sevo / Neather: Response

 

TBC

 

Lieutenant Commander Naledi

Director of Strategic Operations

USS Thor (NCC-85852)

R240107AS3