A Rude Awakening
Posted on Fri Oct 20th, 2023 @ 11:16pm by Fleet Captain Maxwell Culver & Commander Lorut Vila & Lieutenant Commander Frasier Greene & Lieutenant Desha & Lieutenant Rowena "Rena" Campbell & Lieutenant Commander Ukram Gocx & Christine Graham
1,918 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
First Contact
Location: USS Intrepid: Sickbay
Timeline: MD1: late afternoon
Max felt like the was heading an entourage as Commander Lorut Vila, Lieutenant Desha and Counselor Campbell all walked into Sickbay together. Three doctors and an army of nurses and medical professionals swarmed the place. They moved like a team and though the Helivans were not yet fully conscious, Max knew they would be soon.
Standing back and out of the way, Max and the crew waited for one of the doctors to update them.
Ukram was working quickly to stabilize the alien man's vitals. They appeared, inwardly, to be humanoid, much like himself or a Bajoran, or the Captain. They had similar internal makeup, save for the fact that these Helivans had a higher concentration of polysaccharide lyases and carbohydrate esterases, indicating that they ate a mostly vegetarian diet. They kept the sickbay at a comfortable 68*F/20*C, not just for HIM but because a lot of pathogens simply couldn't survive at that temperature for any length of time. He placed the heating packs on the cold man, and used a hypospray to rouse him.
Rena stood by, watching carefully. She was already in the minds of these Helivans-the youngest one, whom she presumed was the Princess they'd all mentioned, was vaguely aware that she was no longer in stasis. She tried to calm the woman down, silently and carefully. ‘Do not be afraid, we're here to help you. Doctor Graham is gentle and will not harm you. My name is Rena. What is yours?’
The woman's piercing blue eyes opened. "Dr. Graham!! She's called Filia," she shouted.
Christine was distracted by the sudden shout from the counselor. Enough so that she missed the woman’s eyes flutter open. When she turned back, eyes so blue they seemed like they would shine in the night stared back at her. There was much added to her holomatrix that had never been added, including great works of fiction, including Frank Herbert’s Dune, The Great Blue Sands by Soval of Vulcan, Korant’s Dark Heart by Hek’leq of Qo’nos, and not even those works could describe nor rival the absolute blue of the Helivan irises. “Welcome,” Christine said. “I am Doctor Christine Graham, a doctor aboard our starship, the USS Intrepid.”
Words assaulted Filia, such that she had never known. A blue face hovered beside her. There were some devices attached to her, and she couldn’t understand what any of them did. “Vikra am hveolhaonn? Hoaiumm'u hwiiy? Aeek'h'i raed'aeusnnta'jhiy hwiiy ssraei swai ahefvi?”
Max frowned. Lieutenant Reid’s written ancient Romulan wasn’t translating into Federation Standard as she had presumed it would. He could sense the woman’s panic and, to be honest, it was uncomfortable even for him. Still, he was the captain.
Moving to her side, Max too was suddenly transfixed by the blue eyes that seemed to hold a world of experience and vast intelligence. For a moment, all was silent between them before the din of a chaotic sickbay returned.
Jarred from Campbell's call Doctor Greene twisted away from his own patient towards the sole female who'd awoken. Unlike the others he wasn't surprised the Helivan native tongue hadn't translated successfully yet, it was ancient and highly likely to be inaccurate for a short while until the UT had heard more phrases. He'd already warned his team and Christine they'd be stumbling for a while until communications had been established.
The Doctor's gaze fell upon the woman and Captain Culver noting how their body language differed the moment he drew closer. Had he inversely done something to her with is untrained gift, the Doctor thought with deep concern. Until he'd found some assistance in managing his new abilities Greene was worried he was a liability to both the crew and himself. A tough conversation for another day he sighed moving toward the group.
While Greene was distracted, Gocx was typing notes into the computer, so he didn't see the man he was awakening open his eyes until it was too late.
Rustav hopped off the biobed. He remembered these strange devices from his time in the Heliv Navy - Terran. From the deep pockets of his pants came a phaser-type weapon. He aimed straight for the human-looking captain standing over his Princess. "Stand down," he said, in perfect Standard.
Desha had been standing by the doors, with one of her security guards, in case any of the guests had made a break for it. She pointed her phaser towards the man, but she didn't have time to say anything.
Ukram moved quickly, his KDF training kicking in. He took the man into a sort of bear hug from behind. "YOU STAND DOWN," he said, his deep, Klingon voice booming in the man's ear. "You are fine here. You are safe." He looked quickly to Rena. She nodded, and closed her eyes. A few moments later, the man seemed to calm down. He sat.
“My apologies. My training taught me to keep the Princess safe at all costs. I do not mean you harm.” He handed his phaser device off to the Klingon.
"Christ," Greene hissed through his teeth having been startled by the sudden action.
Max barely had time to react to what had happened, as the Klingon Doctor restrained one of the Helivans. The man had a gun. A weapon that would break through any force field, unless they expected the weapons. They no longer worried about bullets piercing the hull, but they would certainly do plenty of damage to a body. “Lieutenant Desha, secure that weapon. Medical, get him under control, restraints if needed, whatever you need.”
Desha nodded, and moved up with one of her security team members. She took the weapon from Ukram. "Thank you, Commander." She smiled, before handing it to the ensign with her. She kept her hand by her holstered phaser, looking at the man who had been pinned down by Ukram just moments ago. "Captain, should we search the rest of the Helivans for weapons?"
Max turned to answer the lieutenant and felt a sharp, searing pain as the older woman held the hilt of knife, pressed deep into his abdomen. He looked at it quizzically for a moment before he gave the Helivan an upper cut punch that nocked her head back and put her back into unconsciousness. “Seems a prudent idea, Lieutenant,” he managed to say through gritted teeth.
Desha stared at the Helivan sprawled on the bio-bed for a second, before tapping her combadge. =/\= Desha to V'Sara and Lyons, get in here =/\=
Two security guards, a Vulcan lieutenant and a Human ensign, entered sickbay almost immediately. "V'Sara, search the woman lying on the bio-bed. Lyons, search the man sat there. Kakalina, collect any weapons either of them find. I'll search the Princess."
She then turned to the Princess, while unholstering her tricorder. "I'm going to use this device to scan for any weapons on you. Is that okay?" she spoke softly and calmly with a slight smile on her face, while reading her body language carefully for any sign of hostility.
The woman raised her eyebrow as she used her withering gaze to diminish the woman standing before her. After a moment, she raised her arms, to show compliance. While she spoke perfect Federation Standard, a prudent course of action after the fall of the Romulans, she would not dirty her tongue with it.
"Certainly," Dr. Gocx replied to the security officer. "Nurse "L'Vana, prep three vials of Seroquel. two 3cc vials, and one 5cc vial," the Klingon ordered. "Doctor Greene, I'll turn on the shields." He pressed a button on his tricorder. Just as quickly as the man had stood, he was back, flat on his back, unable to move.
“Don’t remove the knife, Captain,” Doctor Graham said as she materialized beside the captain. “We don’t yet know the extent of the damage. Can you walk to a biobed?”
Max grunted and nodded, indicating that - with assistance - he could. Christine held him across his back as he used her to support him to a biobed. “Doctor Greene? The captain has been injured.”
"So I can see," Greene remarked with a shake of his head. The Captain was certainly turning into that liability he'd feared. "Why weren't the weapons not detected by the transporter?" he asked Desha and team as they ensure no more were discovered.
"Transporters aren't perfect at detecting weapons, Commander, and I'm afraid I've had yet to enforce security measures for those who come aboard the ship", Desha said, while maintaining her focus on searching the suspect.
Max could sense the derision from Frasier. “These aren’t phasers and disruptors, Doctor, they’re slug throwers and ceremonial knives. Objects that can slip transport. Now that we know, we can adjust for the future.”
Lieutenant Desha couldn’t be blamed for the lack of foresight, she was barely hours aboard the ship. “If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine,” he assured Frasier as he grunted.
The Doctor snorted - at the response. So far everything about this mission had turned into a farce in his opinion - they were supposed to be experienced officers highly trained to foresee risks before they could present themselves, not some zit covered teen cadet stumbling blindly in the dark.
Easing Max down into a comfortable position on a vacant biobed Frasier's bedside manner returned: "Easy does it, let's have a closer look shall we?"
Ukram finished his exam of the now-slightly-agitated Helivan, and released him to Rena's care for a quick mind scrub and her feminine wiles. Christine also had let the older Female go.
Rena stepped forward to greet both. "Hello, my name is Lieutenant Rowena Campbell. You can call me Rena, or Doctor, or Counselor. I answer to most things. We have a suite ready for you, if you'd like, and later on, the ship's Executive Officer will give you a tour and let you see your ship. It's been fully repaired, but we need you to stay aboard just a bit longer," the Betazed explained, manipulating the air into calmness and serenity.
Max could feel the calmness that Rena was emanating as she guided the Helivans to the Diplomatic Suites, where they would be confined. “Lieutenant Desha, follow the counselor and make sure those people are confined until we can meet under better conditions,” Max struggled to say as an alpha wave enducer was placed on his forehead.
"Understood, Captain. V'Sara, you're with me", Desha nodded, before following the entourage out of sickbay.
“Let’s get this knife outta me..” Max thought he said aloud as he felt his consciousness slipping away. For all he knew, it might all have been a mumbled mess.
Rena watched carefully from her spot against a wall. Her final act was to calm Max further, but she didn't invade his head. "Let me know when Captain's awake. I'll go with security," she said.
"Thank you, Rena," Greene glanced up from his patient. Without her calming influence things could have escalated further. "Please reassure our guests we're not a threat despite what just happened."
"Yes, sir. I will do that. I’ll report back with you when I can. Thank you, Doctor Greene," she said, heading for the door. She shook her head at the captain. Drama queen!
Satisfied the Captain was comfortably sedated, Doctor Greene turned his attention to the immediate task at hand leaving the Helivan negations for more capable candidates.
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