USS Penumbra Sim Narrative, SD 202306.16
The Penumbra had regained orbit of the Kinshayan world of Tepesi 2. After lending assistance in response to the terrorist attack on a large space port, the local military governor, Archbishop Mulraney, politely asked the Penumbra to leave Kinshayan space.
However, the flight from the planet's surface to low orbit had not gone smoothly. Apparently, the ship had picked up a significant amount of dust and debris in the Bussard Scoops that ended up clogging the ventral engines' manifolds. Engineering Technician Michael Holland received a rather serious dressing-down (and a major demerit) from Chief Engineer Lt. Evie Owens for not doing his assigned task of checking (and cleaning) the manifolds when so ordered. The manifolds were since cleared and cleaned and systems were back within normal parameters.
The engine manifolds were apparently not the only thing to have picked up dust and debris. The Wellness Center had six individuals laid up with some kind of respiratory distress: four Marines and two Engineering Technicians. All of the sick were members of the Demolition and Removal squad that had assisted with clearing damaged buildings at Ground Zero on the planet, including Cpl. Homer Kyle.
Cdre. Zak Taylor sat in the Command Seat in the center of the Penumbra's Bridge. He glanced at his Chief of Flight Operations sitting at the Helm, "Well, Carter, can we manage to break orbit?"
His Vulcan Chief of Sciences, Cmdr. Relok, asked, "And go where, Commodore?"
Carter's gaze flicked across several navigation system displays, then he glanced at the Chief of Operations sitting beside him, LtCmdr. Tabeshk Tibris, "Tabby, run a full diagnostic on our dorsal port nacelle. I'm still not getting any flow regulation here."
The half-Romulan, half-Klingon albino grunted, "Sure, I'm on it."
At the Tactical Console, the Chief of Security and Tactical Operations, LtCmdr. Denovan Hawke, former Borg, commented, "The shuttles I'm controlling are starting to take some strain on their tractors, Commodore." He was driving three of them through direct interface with Borg tubules into his console, a new improvement that the Penumbra, originally designed to fight against the Borg, had finally been programmed to allow ... for him, at least.
Zak glanced at Den, then turned to Carter, "If we've got stable orbit, let's get those shuttles back inside."
Carter glanced back and gave a short nod, "Yeah, let's get the shuttles inside. I can hold the orbit pretty solid."
Den nodded back, "Got it." He directed the shuttles back to the Hangar Bay and once landed and secure he said, "The shuttles are in," and retracted his tubules.
Col. Travis Patterson, Executive Officer, stepped over to the Reconnaissance Area to stand behind SgtMaj. Derek Hines. "Hines," he said, "I want close monitoring on all channels regarding the Archbishop."
Hines glanced up at him, an eyebrow raised, "I'm not sure I follow your reasoning this time, Pat."
Patterson shook his head, staring at the Recon display. "I'm not sure yet, Hines, just ... a suspicion we're missing something."
Then Tabby called, "Captain, I have a hail. It's the Bishop."
Zak's brow furrowed a moment. "The Bishop? That's Yazgrom, right? The one I met on the ... what was it ... the Yeffre?" He gave a clance at Patterson then said, "Put him through."
Patterson quickly grabbed a listening earpiece and gave Zak a quick nod.
The image of the large gryphon-like Kinshayan appeared on the main viewer. He flexed his wings and called out, "Ay'eh! Respect, Commodore. I have been instructed to escort you out of the star system ... and advised to possibly see you all the way out of Kinshayan space."
Relok glanced at Zak and then Den and muttered, "All the way out?"
Tabby grumbled quietly, "That's nice."
Hines pointed at a blip on his monitor and said softly, "That one ... that's the Yeffre." The blip was moving closer to the Penumbra .
Den also saw it on his Tactical board. His display showed it to be a spherical, heavily armed and armored capital warship of the Holy Order of the Kinshaya. "That one you pointed out, Hines, is moving closer to us. Capital ship."
Patterson gave a nod, pressed a few buttons and called softly, "MAX?"
The Reconnaissance Artificial Intelligence known as MAX manifested his holographic face on a monitor near Patterson and Hines. He quickly reviewed what Patterson had input and said softly, "This is a very unorthodox method, Colonel ... but it should work."
Patterson looked up and gestured at the Commodore, "Zak, when you've got a sec?"
Zak stood, nodded at Patterson, but addressed the Kinshayan Bishop on the main viewer, "We appreciate the escort, Bishop. But ... we might engage our advanced flight systems. We don't need you to try to follow us the whole way." He wandered nonchalantly over to near Patterson and Hines.
Patterson gave a quick gesture at some text on a lower display monitor. It laid out some of Patterson's strategy he wanted to use on the Yeffre . He smirked and muttered, "Pretty unorthodox, huh?"
Zak responded, "Ooh, yeah, those systems do need purging, don't they." He turned back to the main viewer. "Bishop, we picked up some dust from our planetary trip. We need to purge our scoops. Please be aware of the slight flare from our engines. It's harmless." He turned back to Patterson and said, "Proceed, Colonel."
Patterson gave a nod and returned to the XO seat. Hines hid a smirk as he prepared a batch of micro-drones and sent them to the Bussard Collectors. Zak returned to his seat as well and then said, "Mr. Carter, the Colonel will be purging the enginesStand by. Den, Relok, let's take the opportunity to test our systems. Scan the dust cloud, just to be sure. Bishop, we'll talk again later. Tabby, close channel, please."
Tabby nodded and pressed the button, "Channel closed."
Carter raised an eyebrow at the unusual protocol of the Colonel doing something with his engines but said nothing. Relok also raised an eyebrow, glancing at Den at the unusual orders, but then turned his attention to his sensors. Den nodded, "Yes, sir." Once he was sure the Bishop could no longer hear, he clarified, "I think it's a ruse, Relok."
Patterson nodded, "Tabby, relay excess plasma build-up to the Bussard Collector exhaust ports, please."
Again, Tabby just grunted, "Plasma, you got it."
Zak explained, "The Colonel has put some reconn drones among the discharge. Let's see if we can get some of them on the Yeffre for tracking devices."
Relok frowned, "If they detect them, sir, they will consider that a hostile move."
Patterson shook his head. "Not a race I know who've detected them until they'd well out-lived their purpose. And ... we can easily argue they came from the Purity Faction, not us." He gave the Vulcan a smirk.
Suddenly, the comm system chirped and the voice of Cmdr. Adonudo T'lanuwa, the Native American Medicine Man and Chief Medical Officer called, "Den, if you have a moment, can you come to the Wellness Center? I have something I'd like you to take a look at."
Den made a face as he tapped his commbadge, "Yes, sir. I will when I can." It made him curious just what was going on in the Wellness Center that would prompt Adon to call him just then, but ... he had other duties, like watching a potentially hostile capital ship that they were about to dump drones on!
Patterson called out, "Carter, full impulse. Once the Yeffre is trailing, I will need you to alter course slightly as we dump the Bussard Collectors and cross their flight path."
Carter nodded, "Aye, sir. Full impulse."
The Penumbra broke orbit and accelerated to Full Impulse, with the Yeffre following behind. Carter opened the Bussard Collectors and gradually began to cross the Yeffre's flight path. Relok announced, "Receiving telemetry on a dozen ... two dozen ..micro-drones. Let's hope a few get on the YeffreDen ... I'll send you the data feed."
Den nodded, "Thank you." He tapped his console, logging each as they began to track onto his board.
Carter reported, "I've got green lights on all warp functions. Bussard Collectors are almost dry." As he said this, the Yeffre, Bishop Yazgrom's sphere-ship, altered course slightly to avoid most of the dust cloud (with its micro-drones). Even though they missed most of the cloud, they still clipped a part of it, and six of the micro-drones made contact with their hull.
Hines turned and gave a curt nod and a thumbs-up signal. "We're live."
The Kinshayan Bishop reappeared on the main viewer. "That dust cloud was rather dense, PenumbraNow that you're clear, let's make Warp Three at 158 mark 15 to clear the system."
Zak answered, "Acknowledged, Yeffre. Mr. Carter, set course and engage at Warp 3."
Carter nodded, "One-five-eight mark fifteen, aye, sir."
Zak signaled for Tabby to close the channel and the albino nodded, "Understood, closing channel."
Den checked his board and reported, "Six of them, looks like, have stuck on."
They were interrupted yet again by the comms chirping followed by Adon's voice. "So ..any chance of a visit soon, Den? I know you're probably busy, but ...," he trailed off.
Patterson glanced over at Den, wondering why the older doctor would have called a second time. He shifted his gaze to the Vulcan Lieutenant, Re'libel Standin, who stood near the starboard Turbolift doors. Standin was a Security Officer of Den's department and often filled in for Den at the Tactical station when Den was needed elsewhere.
Den again scowled slightly and tapped his commbadge. "Once we're clear, I'll make that my priority, Doctor." He looked to Relok, then Patterson, then Zak, "Should I go now?"
Zak tapped his commbadge. "What's going on, Doc? Den's got his hands full right now."
Adon answered, "It's not yet an emergency, but ... we detected some kind of micro-machine inside Cpl. Kyle's lungs. I wanted Den to have a look to make sure it isn't Borg."
Patterson's eyebrows shot up at the mention of Borg and he cut a glance at the CommodoreZak just gaped, staring at Den, but then asked, "Borg nanites in one of our Marines?"
Den raised both hands. "I haven't been doing experiments, don't look at me!"
Zak continued, "Den, you can let Standin track the Yeffre and go now, if you think we're good."
Adon's voice came back again, "Clarification: I don't think it's Borg. Kat doesn't think it's Borg. But ... Den's our resident Borg expert. I want him to have a look."
Kat's voice came over the comms too, adding further clarification, "It's not that I don't know Borg tech, it's just I want a second opinion. There is more than one type of Borg nanite, Doctor Adon."
They heard Adon soothe, "I know, I know."
Den glanced to Standin and said, "I can route the console to monitor from down there just in case I need to step in." He set up the relay of the feed and then stepped to the side, gesturing for Standin to take over. The Vulcan Security Officer stepped up with nothing but a silent nod and took over the Tactical station.
MAX manifested on several monitors and pedestals around the Bridge and said, "The Yeffre has been powdered with a layer of phased plasma that has ionized their hull to a level our sensors can easily detect at long range. The probes will allow for us to also listen in on their communications."
With that, the Penumbra jumped to Warp 3, followed immediately by the Yeffre. In seconds, both ships had left the Tepesi star systemYazgrom appeared on the main viewer again. " Penumbra We have cleared the system. We can continue on this course at this speed and in six hours clear Kinshayan space. Or ... we can accelerate to Warp 7 and be out in minutes. We'd prefer Warp 7 if your ship can handle it."
Patterson and Zak both glanced at Carter. Zak grinned, "You heard him. Can we handle Warp 7?"
Carter double-checked his systems, then with a smirk asked, "How fast can he go?"
Cmdr. Adonudo T'lanuwa, the aging Native American Medicine Man who was the Penumbra's Chief Medical Officer (and Counselor), and LtCmdr. Katarina Hawke, the young sister of their Chief of Security and Tactical Operations who was the Assistant Chief Medical Officer, had taken a sample of the sputum from Cpl. Homer Kyle. Adon said, "Kat, let's get some analysis done on Kyle's sample. Mr. Kyle, just relax for now."
Kat cleared her throat, "Of course, Doctor." She moved to the machine and started the analysis.
Kyle spoke in his Carolina drawl, "Mine ol' airbags don't be feelin' so good, docs. Hurts ta suck air. Y'all gonna be fixin' that soon, huh?"
Adon patted the man's hand. "Sure, Kyle. Let me get you something for pain." He turned to a cabinet and retrieved a hypo then injected the Marine. As Kyle visibly relaxed, he turned and approached Kat. "What've you got?"
Kat gestured at the machine. "Unfortunately, the analysis hasn't finished yet, Doctor." She cleared her throat once again.
Adon looked up at the machine. "The fact it's still running is telling though. It means it isn't something we see all the time. Not a cold or flu or anything like that." He watched it another moment then added, "It's pretty dense though, don't you think. And ... gritty? Can't be good to the patient's lungs."
"From the looks of it," Kat said, "I have a feeling whatever this is might be unknown." She frowned.
"Wait," Adon said, pointing, "You see that?"
Kat cocked her head to the side, concentrating. "That?" she pointed to it as well.
Adon watched the zoomed-in display. "It's ... they ... are moving! What is that?"
At the same time, Kat also said, "What is that?"
"Those look like ... tiny machines!" Adon exclaimed.
From across the Wellness Center, Kyle called from his biobed, slightly groggy from the drugs Adon had given him, "They's gots machines in my airbags?"
Adon ignored him and turned to Kat instead and asked softly, "Are they Borg nanites or something?"
Kat, like her brother, was a former Borg. When she was a drone, she'd been a medical drone with access to giga-quads of biological data gathered by the Borg's assimilation of hundreds (if not thousands) of other races. She shook her head"No ..., you think? No. They can't be Borg nanites, they aren't configured the same way. But, we could ask my brother what he thinks." Her brother, Den, was older, and had been a Borg much longer than she'd been.
Adon tapped his commbadge. "Den, if you have a moment, can you come to the Wellness Center? I have something I'd like you to take a look at."
Den answered from his post on the Bridge, "Yes, sir. I will when I can."
Kyle groaned, "I's gonna die from Borg thangs inside me! Lorda Mercy that cain't be! We's just gotta git Bigun ta go-head and shoot me!"
Adon moved back over to Kyle's bed. "Now, now, Corporal, it isn't that bad. Kat doesn't think they're Borg. It's a little odd, and we might need to consider surgery to get it out of you now, but ... right now you don't seem any worse for wear. You're a Marine. Tough it out!"
"Whut?" Kyle flinched. "Now y'all has to cut me open and dig it out? Aw, man!" He groaned.
About that time the Wellness Center doors slid open as another Marine entered. This one was SSgtMichael Stanson, called "Wrench" by friends and co-workers. He was covering his mouth with a slightly blood-splattered rag and coughing harshly.
Adon saw him and snapped out, "Kat! Another patient!" He moved towards him then noticed the bloody rag. "This one might be more advanced. Blood pathogen protocols. Suit up."
Kat tried again to clear her throat as she moved to help the new patient onto a biobed. "I'll get the analysis going see if it matches with the Corporal."
Wrench moved with Kat, holding the rag to his face. "Feels like ... I got ... glass in my lungs!"
Adon glanced at Kat, finally noticing she'd been clearing her throat a lot. "You OK?"
"Yeah," she waved him off, "just a dry throat. I haven't had a chance to get some water since we have patients." She cleared her throat again.
Adon gave her a slight smile. "OK. Just watch yourself, huh?"
Kat smiled weakly back at him. "I'll do my best." She helped Wrench get onto the biobed and started the analysis of his lungs.
Adon tapped his commbadge again. "So ... any chance of a visit soon, Den? I know you're probably busy, but ...," he trailed off.
Kat called him, "Doc!" As he glanced her way, she gestured at the readings, showing similar signs of respiratory distress as the Corporal.
Den answered, seeming a little short, "Once we're clear, I'll make that my priority, Doctor."
Then voice of CdreZak Taylor came over the comms, "What's going on, Doc? Den's got his hands full right now."
Adon took a breath and then explained, "It's not yet an emergency, but ... we detected some kind of micro-machine inside Cpl. Kyle's lungs. I wanted Den to have a look to make sure it isn't Borg."
There was a short pause before Zak snapped back, "Borg nanites in one of our Marines?"
Adon quickly replied, "Clarification: I don't think it's Borg. Kat doesn't think it's BorgBut ... Den's our resident Borg expert. I want him to have a look."
Kat added, "It's not that I don't know Borg tech, it's just I want a second opinion. There is more than one type of Borg nanite, Doctor Adon."
Adon smiled at her"I know, I know." He glanced up at Wrench's biobed readings. "He's running a fever. Kyle's not. That's different."
Wrench covered his mouth with his bloody rag again and went into another coughing fit. After a few minutes, he lowered the bloody rag and clenched his ribs, a grimace of pain on his face.
"But this is the same," Kat indicating the look of pain on Wrench's face, then cleared her own throat yet again. It was beginning to feel scratchier, and she gazed longingly at the replicator, wanting a drink desperately! She looked back up at the analytics on the biobed. "Wait, no, there are no machines in his lungs, so ..I am unsure why Stanson is bleeding."
The Wellness Center doors slid open again and Den strode in. He walked over to Adon and Kat. "I need to use one of those consoles, then ... let's see what ya got for me."