Lt. Cmdr. V'Len Kel - Hard days night
2 views
Skip to first unread message
Don K
Sep 17, 2025, 9:28:06 AM (5 days ago) Sep 17
to sb118...@googlegroups.com
((Port Conformal Diagonal Jefferies Tube down to Deck 7, USS Compass Rose))
With Nakada "minding the store" as the Terrans said, V'Len and Roop were descending into the outrigger. There were several "empty" spots in that section similar to the one they had discovered off the bridge. He'd let Alydra know about what they'd found. He might have headed that way himself, but there were still other parts of the ship to be inspected and V'Len had an ulterior motive as well. He wanted to see how Jack was doing. Jack was his oldest friend in Starfleet and V'Len wanted to see what he could do for him.
In the meantime all they could do was climb down.
Kel: So Mr. Roop. What made you decide to join Starfleet?
Roop: A lover.
It was small talk, but it kept V'Len from wondering if they all might go boom at any moment. He had heard nothing about how Jack and T'Fearne were coming along with the torpedoes.
Kel: Really? Must have been quite a lover. ::glancing ahead:: How much further down does this go?
Roop: Another twenty meters. No, it was brief, and before my wife and I got together. She was a Starfleet Doctor, too. Recovering after the Battle of Astrofori.
V'Len wasn't familiar with every battle, but he was pretty sure it had involved the Tholians.
Kel: She must have been very convincing. I feel like the results of that battle may have been a deterrent.
Roop: Eight meters. Yeah, she pushed me hard to join. Went out of her way, I would say. ::his face flashing a reminiscent memory before his attention snapped back:: How about you, Sir? What made you join?
V'Len kept crawling forward as the two moved along.
Kel: ::chuckling:: Nothing so glamorous I'm afraid. I've always wanted to explore and discover. Just a big nerd as the humans would say.
They had stopped before a bulkhead and Roop had his tricorder raised once more.
Roop: Goodness. ::audibly breathing as if he were swimming:: The outrigger junction reads clear of life. Just how long have you been in Starfleet, Sir?
Kel: Uh. If you count the years I spent at the academy I guess it's more than 12, but I've been on starships for almost 5 years now. ::reflecting:: Feels like longer.
The pair continued forward until they arrived at a hatch.
Roop: We have a saying; it’s not the sea that makes sand, it’s the tides. You’ve been through a lot, yet you’re only a few years older than I. ::hatch opening::
Kel: ::chuckling:: That's a very wise saying.
((Deck 7, USS Compass Rose))
The exited the Jefferies tube into a large room. It was a lab or perhaps simply some kind of engineering subsystem room. Most prominent were several small piles of goo. The room had a smell that made V'Len's antennae tingle. He raised his tricorder.
Roop: What’tha? ::exiting cautiously, slinking, visibly alert for anything as if in danger:: Sir?
Kel: ::somberly:: Two Humans, a Bolian and a Vulcan. ::pausing:: Or what's left of them.
He made a slow circuit of the room. They were alone. V'Len's eyes kept going back to the small piles on the floor. He shuddered to think Jack could end up like that. Surely, he could figure out something. The comm channel in his helmet exploded to life.
Niac: =/\= Chief...I'm putting this on open comms so everyone on the Rose can hear it. Our probes have positively identified the wreckage of a Tarellian plague ship in this system. Considering the severity of the situation aboard the Rose we must conclude that they have been exposed. In addition...Lieutenant, your suit sensors are showing a puncture. It's very likely you've been exposed. We're attempting to ascertain if anyone else on the away team has also been compromised. =/\=
Raga/Shortrith: =/\= Response =/\=
Kessler: =/\= Tarellian? I see. Any news on how this was engineered? Or is this a mutation all of its own? =/\=
Tarellian Plague. V'Len shuddered. It was the boogieman of Federation doctors. A plague so terrible it could wipe out a civilization and then move on to the next. It could have been a simple coincidence that the ship was here, but that seemed far from likely.
Kessler: ::Keeping comms open:: =/\= Sorry, my mother was a Medical Doctor and an Exo-Species Biologist. As you might expect deadly viruses were not an uncommon topic with her. ::pulling his tricorder out and flipping it open:: Given that no scans have revealed what we know about the Tarellian Virus then it stands that this is engineered to be different or it mutated, correct? =/\=
That made sense.
Niac: =/\= That's a reasonable assumption Chief, I'll pass it along to the team in sickbay. This should help them narrow down what they're dealing with. In the meantime, are you or your team experiencing any symptoms? Anything you could tell us about your condition at this early point could be invaluable. =/\=
Raga/Shortrith: =/\= Response =/\=
Kessler: =/\= What about medical records from Doctor Wyatt Earp? oO No, wrong history Jack. Oo, Wait, Wyatt Hiller....Wyatt Miller. Yeah Miller, didn't he stay in touch with Starfleet for a while about the plague ship he was aboard? =/\=
oO Wyatt Earp? Seriously? Oo
Wyatt Miller was something of a legend or cautionary tale amongst Federation doctors. He'd beamed over to a Tarellian ship because of a woman he'd seen in his dreams. Many said he must have been dead in weeks, but others noted his brilliance. Either way the man had never published or communicated any findings.
Raga/Nicolau/Shortrith: =/\= Response =/\
Kessler: =/\= I'm thinking I'm not dead yet, but will be. If this was mutated then you have a far bigger issue on your hands. If this was engineered then there's a cure. the engineers wouldn't be stupid enough to follow in the Tarellian's footsteps and resequence a virus that was known to wipe out civilizations without ensuring their own was protected. Unless of course they were naturally immune. Which means we could develop a cure from them, right? =/\=
It was a logical conclusion, but there was still no indication of who did this. If it was the Sheliak or the Tholians, their resistance to the disease was likely due to their silicon-based nature. Not something easy to replicate. There was an alert sound and V'Len noted that Jack's heart rate had risen.
Niac: =/\= Logical conclusions, Mr. Kessler, I'll pass them along to the research team. Until then, get yourself and your people out of that armory while we dispose of your little torpedo problem, understood? =/\=
Raga/Shortrith: =/\= Response =/\=
He took a quick scan of the goo piles and turned toward the door.
Kel: ::nodding at Roop:: Let's go.
Roop: Response
Kel: Jack and I have served together since I joined. We can't let him end up like that. ::pointing back toward the goo::
Roop: Response
They headed out the door and down the corridor. After a bit V'Len halted.
Kel: One of our blank spots is behind that door. Let's see what's in there.
Roop: Response
T'Fearne: =/\= T’Fearne to Commander Kel, apologies if I alarmed you, Commander. I’ve had to sedate Chief Kessler momentarily. He seems to be progressing to the stage of the Black Tear plague where paranoia and hallucinations may become more frequent. =/\=
V'Len could only stare off for a moment.
Kel: =/\= We'll join you as soon as possible. =/\=
Roop: Response
Tags/TB
--
With Nakada "minding the store" as the Terrans said, V'Len and Roop were descending into the outrigger. There were several "empty" spots in that section similar to the one they had discovered off the bridge. He'd let Alydra know about what they'd found. He might have headed that way himself, but there were still other parts of the ship to be inspected and V'Len had an ulterior motive as well. He wanted to see how Jack was doing. Jack was his oldest friend in Starfleet and V'Len wanted to see what he could do for him.
In the meantime all they could do was climb down.
Kel: So Mr. Roop. What made you decide to join Starfleet?
Roop: A lover.
It was small talk, but it kept V'Len from wondering if they all might go boom at any moment. He had heard nothing about how Jack and T'Fearne were coming along with the torpedoes.
Kel: Really? Must have been quite a lover. ::glancing ahead:: How much further down does this go?
Roop: Another twenty meters. No, it was brief, and before my wife and I got together. She was a Starfleet Doctor, too. Recovering after the Battle of Astrofori.
V'Len wasn't familiar with every battle, but he was pretty sure it had involved the Tholians.
Kel: She must have been very convincing. I feel like the results of that battle may have been a deterrent.
Roop: Eight meters. Yeah, she pushed me hard to join. Went out of her way, I would say. ::his face flashing a reminiscent memory before his attention snapped back:: How about you, Sir? What made you join?
V'Len kept crawling forward as the two moved along.
Kel: ::chuckling:: Nothing so glamorous I'm afraid. I've always wanted to explore and discover. Just a big nerd as the humans would say.
They had stopped before a bulkhead and Roop had his tricorder raised once more.
Roop: Goodness. ::audibly breathing as if he were swimming:: The outrigger junction reads clear of life. Just how long have you been in Starfleet, Sir?
Kel: Uh. If you count the years I spent at the academy I guess it's more than 12, but I've been on starships for almost 5 years now. ::reflecting:: Feels like longer.
The pair continued forward until they arrived at a hatch.
Roop: We have a saying; it’s not the sea that makes sand, it’s the tides. You’ve been through a lot, yet you’re only a few years older than I. ::hatch opening::
Kel: ::chuckling:: That's a very wise saying.
((Deck 7, USS Compass Rose))
The exited the Jefferies tube into a large room. It was a lab or perhaps simply some kind of engineering subsystem room. Most prominent were several small piles of goo. The room had a smell that made V'Len's antennae tingle. He raised his tricorder.
Roop: What’tha? ::exiting cautiously, slinking, visibly alert for anything as if in danger:: Sir?
Kel: ::somberly:: Two Humans, a Bolian and a Vulcan. ::pausing:: Or what's left of them.
He made a slow circuit of the room. They were alone. V'Len's eyes kept going back to the small piles on the floor. He shuddered to think Jack could end up like that. Surely, he could figure out something. The comm channel in his helmet exploded to life.
Niac: =/\= Chief...I'm putting this on open comms so everyone on the Rose can hear it. Our probes have positively identified the wreckage of a Tarellian plague ship in this system. Considering the severity of the situation aboard the Rose we must conclude that they have been exposed. In addition...Lieutenant, your suit sensors are showing a puncture. It's very likely you've been exposed. We're attempting to ascertain if anyone else on the away team has also been compromised. =/\=
Raga/Shortrith: =/\= Response =/\=
Kessler: =/\= Tarellian? I see. Any news on how this was engineered? Or is this a mutation all of its own? =/\=
Tarellian Plague. V'Len shuddered. It was the boogieman of Federation doctors. A plague so terrible it could wipe out a civilization and then move on to the next. It could have been a simple coincidence that the ship was here, but that seemed far from likely.
Kessler: ::Keeping comms open:: =/\= Sorry, my mother was a Medical Doctor and an Exo-Species Biologist. As you might expect deadly viruses were not an uncommon topic with her. ::pulling his tricorder out and flipping it open:: Given that no scans have revealed what we know about the Tarellian Virus then it stands that this is engineered to be different or it mutated, correct? =/\=
That made sense.
Niac: =/\= That's a reasonable assumption Chief, I'll pass it along to the team in sickbay. This should help them narrow down what they're dealing with. In the meantime, are you or your team experiencing any symptoms? Anything you could tell us about your condition at this early point could be invaluable. =/\=
Raga/Shortrith: =/\= Response =/\=
Kessler: =/\= What about medical records from Doctor Wyatt Earp? oO No, wrong history Jack. Oo, Wait, Wyatt Hiller....Wyatt Miller. Yeah Miller, didn't he stay in touch with Starfleet for a while about the plague ship he was aboard? =/\=
oO Wyatt Earp? Seriously? Oo
Wyatt Miller was something of a legend or cautionary tale amongst Federation doctors. He'd beamed over to a Tarellian ship because of a woman he'd seen in his dreams. Many said he must have been dead in weeks, but others noted his brilliance. Either way the man had never published or communicated any findings.
Raga/Nicolau/Shortrith: =/\= Response =/\
Kessler: =/\= I'm thinking I'm not dead yet, but will be. If this was mutated then you have a far bigger issue on your hands. If this was engineered then there's a cure. the engineers wouldn't be stupid enough to follow in the Tarellian's footsteps and resequence a virus that was known to wipe out civilizations without ensuring their own was protected. Unless of course they were naturally immune. Which means we could develop a cure from them, right? =/\=
It was a logical conclusion, but there was still no indication of who did this. If it was the Sheliak or the Tholians, their resistance to the disease was likely due to their silicon-based nature. Not something easy to replicate. There was an alert sound and V'Len noted that Jack's heart rate had risen.
Niac: =/\= Logical conclusions, Mr. Kessler, I'll pass them along to the research team. Until then, get yourself and your people out of that armory while we dispose of your little torpedo problem, understood? =/\=
Raga/Shortrith: =/\= Response =/\=
He took a quick scan of the goo piles and turned toward the door.
Kel: ::nodding at Roop:: Let's go.
Roop: Response
Kel: Jack and I have served together since I joined. We can't let him end up like that. ::pointing back toward the goo::
Roop: Response
They headed out the door and down the corridor. After a bit V'Len halted.
Kel: One of our blank spots is behind that door. Let's see what's in there.
Roop: Response
T'Fearne: =/\= T’Fearne to Commander Kel, apologies if I alarmed you, Commander. I’ve had to sedate Chief Kessler momentarily. He seems to be progressing to the stage of the Black Tear plague where paranoia and hallucinations may become more frequent. =/\=
V'Len could only stare off for a moment.
Kel: =/\= We'll join you as soon as possible. =/\=
Roop: Response
Tags/TB
Lieutenant Commander V'Len Kel
Chief Science Officer/Second Officer
USS Ronin NCC-34523
T239811VK2
He/Him (player/character)
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages