Lt. JG T’Fearne - Bridge of Glass
Teayl Thorn
((Compartment D09-12, Deck 09, USS Compass Rose))
The Rose was small, its passages tighter than the Ronin’s. They reached the compartment quickly; there was not much on this level besides the torpedo bay, mostly just sensor processing compartments. Winters leaned in just enough to glimpse inside, then pulled back, holding up two fingers.
oO Two survivors. Oo
T’Fearne’s pulse ticked in her ears. Survivors were good, and that they had found more, lifted her heart, but what condition were they in, physically and mentally?
She had her phaser pistol already drawn, pointed down and set to stun. She nodded and tapped her weapon meaningfully.
T'Fearne: ::switching to internal suit comms with the three others:: Armed?
Kel: Could we be lucky once today and they're unarmed?
Roop brought up a view of the compartment, enabling them to better gauge the situation.
Winters: Both appear unarmed. They appear to be unloading EV suits from a cargo crate sir.
The Vulcazoid tilted her head slightly, trying to clear her hearing inside her helmet. The faint scrape of boots on metal carried through the hatch, followed by muffled voices. Possibly one male and one female. The words were indistinct, but the tone, sharp, clipped, suggested argument.
T'Fearne: ::low, measured:: I recommend not giving them time or reason to react. We enter and stun immediately.
V'Len winced.
Kel: Keep your phasers ready, but let's try to talk to them. We need more information on what's going on, it would be better not to have to wait for them to come around.
Winters: Aye sir.
She had to admit, they had a point. Intel was in short supply, and they needed any information on the situation they could get.
T'Fearne: Understood. Ready on your mark.
Kel: Let's do it.
Winters: ::slowly drawing her Type-II phaser and looking to T'Fearne:: I'll take the right side.
At the signal, T’Fearne and Winters in her armoured suit slipped into the cramped compartment, striding forward swiftly, phaser levelled at the one on the left. Two figures spun toward the sound, both in grimy uniforms, faces gaunt with exhaustion. A Trill clutched the arm of an EV suit, knuckles white and his spots standing out bleakly at his temples. The Human woman’s eyes widened, brown eyes wide with fear.
((OOC: referring to Human Crew as Crewman 2nd Class Ślimak from now on.))
Human Crew / Ślimak: Stay back! Don’t…don’t come closer!
Trill Crew: ::hoarse:: We’re not infected! We’re not like the others!
The words rang out, desperately. T’Fearne could see no obvious brown goo or lesions on their skin, but that didn’t mean anything. Behind her she heard Kel open his medical tricorder.
T’Fearne: ::calm, deliberate:: We’re not here to harm you. We’re from the Ronin, we received your distress call, and we are rendering aid.
The human woman’s eyes darted to Roop’s tricorder, then back to T’Fearne and Winters’ weapons.
Ślimak: That’s what they all said. Before they changed. Before they turned on us.
Kel: We understand it's been a difficult time. My name is V'Len Kel and I'm a physician. If you'll allow me to take some readings we can determine a path forward.
Winters: ::lowering her phaser and taking one step back, holding her left hand up:: Ok. You're not a threat, we're not a threat. My name is Michele. We just want to know what happened here....
T’Fearne: ::soft, coaxing:: You’ve been fighting this alone a long time. Let us share the burden. No one survives this by themselves.
The Trill survivor swallowed hard, his grip on the EV suit loosening fractionally. He seemed to be clutching something in his other hand, hidden out of sight behind the suit. T’Fearne didn’t lower her phaser, keeping it trained on his centre mass.
Kel: You're right. You're not infected. How exactly did you manage that?
If her ears could become more pointed, they would have as they pricked with interest, but she didn’t take her dark eyes off the pair.
oO Now that is very interesting! Unless Kel’s lying, but this close, I would expect to sense his deception. This could mean hope for the Rose crew and Kessler. Oo
Winters: What? ::beat:: How is that even possible?
Trill Crew: We were out on the hull doing repairs when we encountered the freighter. The Doctor made us use the biodecontamination chamber when we returned.
Ślimak: He gave us some kind of medication in there, something plant-based based he said. By the time we got out…
Her voice trailed off.
Kel: I'd like to get some blood samples. Did any other crew receive this treatment?
Both crewmen shrugged their shoulders at his question. As Kel handed off a hypo for collecting a sample to Winters and she holstered her weapon, T’Fearne backed up a little, lowered it slightly, but kept her phaser, set to stun on a wide beam covering the trio. She didn’t think Michele would mind if she got caught in the beam if it was necessary. She also thought that the chances of these two individuals doing anything were lower with the heavily armoured marine captain standing right next to them.
A prioritised alert indicated an important incoming message, and the surveillance footage of the weapon hidden in the Trill's other hand flashed across her suit's HUD.
oO Good catch, ensign. Oo
She snapped her phaser back up, but Michele was already moving and in a different way than she would have expected. She had blocked them from the rest of the team with her camouflage suit and was starting to disarm. T’Fearne drifted slowly away from the others, maintaining a clear line of sight on the Rose crew, but kept her movement as slow and unprovoking as possible. The marine captain was making a play for their cooperation, and to build trust, she would trust her lead. As a daughter of conflict resolution mediators of some renown, the young security officer was impressed and taking notes.
Winters: ::Softly:: As we said, we are not hear to hurt anyone. I'm a medic and he's a Doctor ::gesturing to V'Len:: Can I proceed in taking a sample?
She hardly dared to breathe lest she disturb the fragile bridge of trust Michele was building.
Kel: If you are free of the virus, we may be able to move you over to our vessel, the Ronin.
Roop: Please! We’re on this same ship with you unless we can find a cure together.
Winters: ::looking to the Trill:: I know you have a phaser. That's ok. I want you to hold on to it. I would want to hold on to it if I were in your boots. Can I please take a sample so we can try and save what's left of your crew?
She saw what looked like a moment of indecision in the Trill’s narrowed eyes, and the muscles in his arm tensed. The Human woman reached out and briefly touched his shoulder. They seemed to check in with eachother in a way that clearly spoke of either a close or a long friendship. They seemed to have worked something out.
Ślimak: Response
The Trill still seemed apprehensive.
Trill crew: Response
Kel: I appreciate your desire to stay here and help, but you both deserve a break.
Winters took that last step forward and administered the collection from both crew.
Winters: There, easy and we're all still safe. ::stepping back to V'Len while facing the crewmembers:: Please tell me these two are really clear of the virus. ::handing the hypo and collection canisters to V'Len::
The two looked and felt suddenly apprehensive again, but T’Fearne thought just at the possibility of being infected.
Ślimak: Response
Trill crew: Response
Kel/Roop: Response
Winters: ::taking back her pistol and rifle and then turning to the Trill:: How long ago did you come out of the decontainment chamber?
Trill crew: Response
Ślimak: Response
T'Fearne: If the decon chamber was programmed to deliver something preventative, there would be a record in the system. Perhaps we should go there and examine the chamber, collect the information?
She glanced meaningfully at Kel.
Kel/Roop: Response
Winters: To be out of containment that long and still not have the virus. Does that mean what I think it sounds like?
Ślimak: Response
Trill crew: Response
T'Fearne: It could mean life for the rest of the crew and Kessler if we can re-engineer it to work in our circumstances.
Kel/Roop: Response
Winters: ::looking to the Trill and to his still somewhat hidden phaser:: I'm not going to ask you for your only means of defense but I am going to ask, for the safety of my team ::gesturing to the away team:: that you secure that weapon. I want you able to defend yourself but I do not want anyone taking unintended fire. Nerves have a way of setting weapons off unintended and that's something I think we can avoid, right?
Ślimak: Response
Trill crew: Response
The Vulcazoid breathed a silent breath of relief. For now, at least, it really did seem like these people, guided by Winters' masterful negotiation tactic, would be cooperating with their team.
Kel/Roop/Winters: Response
Ślimak: Response
Trill crew: Response
Looking at the Trill still with some suspicion, but T’Fearne was willing to be led by Winters' example.
T'Fearne: It is good to meet you both. Lt T’Fearne, Ronin Security. Can you take us back to the decon chamber?
Kel/Roop/Winters: Response
Ślimak: Response
Trill crew: Response
((Science Lab 3 / Bio-Decontamination, Deck 08, USS Compass Rose))
It was not too long a climb, one deck to the lab where the decon chamber was installed. When they entered the lab compartment, she could see why it was here and not in sickbay. There was more room in these labs. The door controls to the decon chamber appeared to have been burned.
T'Fearne: Damage was done to the controls that allowed it to lock. Sabotage perhaps?
She caught the Human Engineer technician looking suddenly guilty.
Kel/Roop/Winters: Response
Ślimak: Response
Trill crew: Response
[Tags / TBC]
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Security Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
R240107T14