Lt. JG T’Fearne - Obstructed Cores & Mushroom Spores
Teayl Thorn
((Sickbay / Life Sciences Lab, Deck 04, USS Compass Rose))
The away team’s comms chirped to life, Captain Niac’s voice breaking through the haze of static, sharp as a pulse rifle shot and with appropriately deadly news.
Niac: =/\= Ronin to all away teams, evacuate to the Luster and take off immediately. The Compass Rose auto-destruct has been activated and you have...=/\= Karrod glanced at a chrono with a countdown overlaid on the viewscreen and winced...=/\= Less than nine minutes to get to minimum safe distance. We cannot beam you back aboard at this time. Evacuate to the Luster immediately. =/\=
The words fell like icewater down T’Fearne’s spine. She faced the others, her jaw tight.
T’Fearne: The Luster is too small. It’s rated for 6 people max, and even if we somehow crammed 3 or 4 more on board, anyone left aboard the Rose would not have a chance. The Roses' shuttles are missing, remember! What else is there?
Om-Zora: Response
T’Fearne: :: pressing her lips together firmly :: I’m not leaving crew of the Ronin or the Rose to burn when we might stop this. Can we abort the self-destruct?
Roop’s gaze slid toward Syrex. Stress hung thick in the room, but so did something that tasted like crisp defiance to T'Fearne's senses. Alyndra broke into a grin.
Syrex: This. This is why you’re my best friend, T’Fearne. I sure as hell don’t intend on leaving anyone on this ship, engineering is only down the hall, right? We can eject the core. ::Looks to Roop:: I’m assuming that the Oberth Class self-destructs by overloading the core?
The Vulcazoid gave her friend a quick nod.
Om-Zora/Roop: Response
The 2O’s distinctive voice clipped over the comm again.
Kel: =/\= Kel to Syrex. We’re in the Luster, we’ll beam you here. =/\=
Alyndra’s hand slapped her badge.
Syrex: =/\= I’d hold off on that for a moment, commander. I don’t like the idea of leaving potential survivors here to die. =/\=
T’Fearne: :: grimly :: Someone’s still alive on Deck 03. You heard the scream earlier. I intend to find them.
Om-Zora/Roop: Response
Kessler: =/\= V'Len, we all cannot fit in here. This bird is too small. Transport me and Nakada to engineering, to the computer core and we'll manually eject the core before the Auto-Destruct reengages. =/\=
Kessler pointed out what T’Fearne had already noted so she turned to look swiftly through the Sickbay.
Syrex: =/\= I like your thinking Mister Kessler. But I would advise against bringing Ensign Nakada with you, unless of course he wants to come, we have an engineer over here on my away team. We don’t want to put more people at risk than we need too. =/\=
Kessler: =/\= Response (Optional) =/\=
Alyndra's body language and emotions radiated concern as she looked at the rest of the team.
Syrex: Not that I’d ever expect any of you to stay, you’re welcome to leave, of course. I wouldn't hold that against any of you.
T’Fearne glanced around at the other three…two people of their team to gauge their responses. There was fear, but also bravery, amongst other complex emotions. She paused her ransacking of sickbay, stepped over to the Trill and clasped a gentle glove to Alyndra’s EV-suit-coated forearm.
T’Fearne: For now, I think, we are all staying with you. Whatever you decide that we should do. There is still time to get into an escape pod and jettison if they can’t eject the core.
Om-Zora/Roop/Syrex: Response
It took only a few moments for them to gather the material they needed from Sickbay and Life Sciences. Paying close attention and scanning the area, recording data and searching for clues in case all the evidence was about to be destroyed. A half-finished report blinked on a PADD. She scooped it up, copying the data and tagging it for Ops to direct it to Ronin's Sickbay with a few quick taps. Reading it, she only comprehended fragments, talking about fungal cultures, abnormal behaviours, the name Dr. Bast, but one word in particular snagged her thoughts.
oO Mushrooms? Usually delicious, but what do they have to do with this? Oo
She smacked the PADD, thoughtfully into her suited palm. Perhaps there was a type of mushroom that could explain some part of what they had been seeing from the behaviours of the crew, or even something to do with the brown goo that she feared was the remains of some of the crew.
She suppressed a shudder, recalling that fifth shadow she had perceived for a moment. Maybe it was stress. But her instincts whispered otherwise.
Computer: Self destruct sequence is active. This ship will self-destruct in fifteen minutes.
With Kessler sharing that he had managed to buy them a few more minutes of precious time, even with the computer spitting out a random countdown error, their window was closing rapidly. Every second dripped by like venom.
T’Fearne: I’ve found a scientist, or maybe the ship's CMO’s report. At the top it says Dr. Bast. Something about mushrooms. I’ve copied it and sent it through, tagged for Sickbay :: handing it to Alyndra :: Where to now?
Om-Zora/Roop/Syrex: Response
Over the open comms, T’Fearne heard the Captain's voice detailing the evolving hazardous situation.
Niac: =/\= Niac to Kessler and Nakada, evacuate the main engineering of the Rose immediately. The core has been jettisoned but there's an obstruction preventing it from getting clear. We need to sweep that whole section with baryon particles as soon as possible to free it. The longer we delay, the greater the chance of core breach. Do you understand? =/\=
Kessler: =/\= Kessler to Niac. Understood. Transporting back to the Luster. =/\=
Niac: =/\= We'll give you all the time we can but don't stop for coffee. Good luck gentlemen. Ronin out. =/\=
Sure enough, T’Fearne’s pointed ears caught the hum of transporters down the corridor. Kessler and Nakada were likely just down the corridor at the closest entrance to Engineering. That left their team standing almost within reach of the dying core.
T’Fearne: That is only a few meters away from us. We should also clear the vicinity. To the escape pods on deck 03?
Om-Zora/Roop/Syrex: Response
[Tags / TBC]
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Security Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
R240107T14