MSNPC PO2C Dominika Ślimak - Walk in Shadows [Part 1]
Teayl Thorn
((Compartment D09-12, Deck 09, USS Compass Rose))
Dom slammed her pocket welder down on the deck plating, frustration rolling off her in waves. She yanked the smoking lid of the crate open, expecting weapons, anything useful, only to find rows of sterile scientific instruments gleaming back at her. She angrily smashed her fist on the edge of the crate, instantly regretting the action and sticking the burned edge of her hand in her mouth.
Ślimak: ::muffled through her burned hand in her mouth:: Owwww!
She winced, sucking the scorched skin where her fist had connected with the crate. Anger and exhaustion knotted her chest tighter than the maintenance tubes she was used to crawling through.
Her companion didn’t comment. They had already managed to acquire one phaser, the only real weapon they’d scavenged, and Corzy had taken responsibility for it. She was half glad and half envious and low-key on the lookout for a weapon for herself. Until she got to a weapons locker, the little pocket welder would have to do.
The tension of the situation and the reports that many of their colleagues and some friends were likely dead had left her worn beyond all reason, her defensive response to the stress was coming out as an argumentative mood. She argued about the smell of the decon chamber, then she argued about leaving the decon chamber, about him having the phaser, about how dirty their uniforms were, how hungry she had been and about the yucky flavour of the food rations they had found. She knew she must be driving Corzy mad, but she couldn’t stop. The endless strain of the last three days had hollowed her out.
He was tugging an EV suit upright, planning to get into it, and she turned to tell him about the science equipment when, over his shoulder was sudden movement. Two suited figures burst into the small compartment, one in a standard EV suit, the other wearing something she’d never seen before. A dark green armoured suit, something the military might wear or the Breen or maybe a Romulan. They were pointing weapons at them. They had come to kill them, exterminate them for being infected, for being a “Plague Ship”.
Her heart lurched. Chocolate brown eyes wide, throat dry, Dominika Ślimak didn’t think, she just responded with what her instincts screamed at her to do, throwing her hand up between Corzy and the intruders.
((OOC: referring to Human Petty Officer 2nd Class Dominika “Dom” Ślimak and Trill Crew as Petty Officer 2nd Class Corzid “Corzy” Benal from now on.))
Ślimak: Stay back! Don’t…don’t come closer!
Corzid: ::hoarse:: We’re not infected! We’re not like the others!
More shapes filled the doorway, visor lights cutting through the low lighting. One, clearly an officer, scanned with a tricorder. Then one of the weapons bearers spoke calmly through the comms.
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.
oO The Ronin? Wha…? Rescue? Or is this a trap? Oo
She glanced at the ones in the back with tricorders, but her gaze kept being drawn to the weapons in the others' hands, pointed threateningly at them. She’d seen too much, too many friends change.
Ślimak: That’s what they all said. Before they changed. Before they turned on us.
Her voice cracked. The tears that had long since burned her eyes returned with a vengeance. The last 72 hours had been the most harrowing of her life. An evolving nightmare that wouldn’t end. She struggled to make out features through the face shields of the EV suits, but it looked like two women with weapons and at least one with the slanted brows of a Vulcan and one with the blue complexion of an Andorian.
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.
Corzy swallowed hard enough for it to be audible. They’d shared names, and the scary one had lowered her weapon. Maybe they really were here to rescue them. But the other one, the Vulcan or maybe Romulan, still had her weapon trained on them unwaveringly.
Kel: You're right. You're not infected. How exactly did you manage that?
Dom let out a ragged sigh. A weight she hadn’t realised she carried loosened slightly. She had been half afraid the treatment wouldn’t work. Dr Bast had seemed confident, but then he had grown strange and trapped them in the decon chamber. It was nice to have someone confirm they were plague-free.
Winters: What? ::beat:: How is that even possible?
Corzy: 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, 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?
Dominika shrugged her ignorance. She was an engine systems tech with an unfortunate knack for breaking things before she fixed them, barely a petty officer second class. Then the first part of the statement sank in as the scary one, Michele, she had said her name was, approached with a hypo in her gloved hand. At least she had holstered the weapon.
Winters: ::Softly:: As we said, we are not here to hurt anyone. I'm a medic and he's a Doctor ::gesturing to V'Len:: Can I proceed in taking a sample?
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 desperately wanted to believe them. They seemed to be telling the truth. And now she recalled hearing talk about some of the battle cruisers that patrolled this cursed sector. The Ronin was a newcomer; to her memory, it had only been operating a few years, but she’d already made a name for herself and her crew.
Reaching out, Dom gently touched Corzy’s shoulder in case he was thinking of doing something dangerous. She looked in his eyes briefly, seeing if he disagreed, that these Ronin people were who they seemed to be.
Ślimak: We need to trust someone. We need help here, Rosie needs help.
He still seemed apprehensive, she knew they both had reason to be, but they had to trust someone. Corzy acknowledged Michele with a resolute nod.
Corzy: ::gulping the three sylables:: Go ahead.
She watched him go first, wanting to trust that these strangers had their best interest at heart, but finding the fear still strong.
Kel: I appreciate your desire to stay here and help, but you both deserve a break.
As Corzy didn’t keel over, she felt brave enough to lift her chin, letting the woman take her sample also. She locked eyes with the woman in the armoured suit through her visor, the eyes said “trust” and Dom found herself breathing more calmly. If it would help the Compass Rose, then it was worth it.
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::
Ślimak: We never came into contact with the virus. ::glancing nervously:: We went into the chamber in our EV suits. They flushed the chamber, sealed us in and refilled it, and then we came out of the suits for treatment. Whatever they did, Dr Bast explained it as preventative.
Corzy: Clear of the virus? ::looking at his clean finger wiped from his neck:: We were so afraid it was just a matter of time. Are you certain we’re not infected?
Kel: I suppose I can't promise that you have no virus in your system, but if you do it hasn't taken hold. Whatever your CMO gave you seems to have had some effect.
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?
Corzy: Ah, about, ::looking to Dominika:: An hour ago, maybe? ::looking back at the Marine Captain:: The decontainment chamber went dark when the computers all died.
Ślimak: It was more like 45 minutes. It was about to let us out, but then the whole ship lost power for a while, and we couldn’t get the doors to the decon chamber open right away.
Dom elbowed Corzy slightly. Worried about what the other might say about the damage she’d done to the door mechanism.
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?
Kel: ::nodding to T'Fearne:: Good thinking Lieutenant. Let's get moving and see if we can find some more clues.
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?
Now it was Corzy’s turn to cry a little as his eyes welled and his shoulders sagged with relief. She clicked her tongue softly, patting his shoulder.
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: ::cautiously:: Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. We need to get back to the biodecontamination chamber and see what answers it might hold.
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?
Corzy: ::absent-mindedly offering the phaser hilt first:: I think you’d be better off with it. ::eyes settling on her rifle and realizing he was offering nothing she didn’t have already:: I’m sorry, certainly. ::his gaze dropping down at his half-armed EV suit and semantically looking for a place to put the phaser before finally giving it to Dominika::
Ślimak: Yes! ::grinning, clutching it eagerly:: Upgraded!
She took the phaser from him, checking the setting was to stun. She clumsily clutched the weapon with both hands and then tucked it in at her side.
The Ronin officers shifted around them, seeming to be preparing for something, and Dom’s momentary mirth faded at the next question.
Kel: ::looking at the Rose crew:: Can either of you tell me where this decontamination chamber is?
Roop/Winters: Response
Ślimak: ::guiltily:: Why do you need to go back there? Shouldn’t we get out of here? Go to your ship?
Corzy: ::taking Dominika’s hands in his, the loose suit shaking:: They’re really going to help us, Dominika.
She glanced at them, Corzy, to his credit, he was putting their lives and the lives of the crew as the highest priority right now. She would help too, put her shoulders back and raised her chin with resolve.
T'Fearne: It is good to meet you both. Lt T’Fearne, Ronin Security. Can you take us back to the decon chamber?
Reluctant, but she gave a steady nod.
Kel: Excellent!. Captain Winters, will you take point again? I'll be right behind you.
Roop/Winters: Response
Corzy: Commander. Captain. Lieutenant. Ensign. Sirs. ::attempting to stand straight and look more dignified than a half ev-suited fool:: Petty Officer Second Class Corzid Benal, Sirs. Compass…::looking down at the suit on his arms and then back at the away team in theirs::.. Rose, Planetary Sciences. ::beat:: I’m gonna…put this on.
She half turned to help the Trill get into his EV.
Ślimak: And I’m Dom…er Petty Officer Second Class Dominika Ślimak, engineering technician. ::hand to her heart:: 1Dziękuję for coming to rescue us.
[Tags / TBC in Part 2]
((OOC: 1Dziękuję - Polish: thank you))
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PO2C Dominika Ślimak
Engineering Technician
USS Compass Rose
Simmed by
Security Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
R240107T14