USS Penumbra Sim Narrative, SD 202306.23
The Penumbra was being "escorted" out of Kinshayan space by the Kinshayan sphere-ship, the Yeffre under command of Bishop Yazgrom, though it seemed their mission had not reached a satisfactory conclusion. They were nearly to the edge of the official territory of the Holy Order of the Kinshaya and flying at Warp 7.
When first breaking orbit of Tepesi 2, on a "hunch", Patterson had arranged to drop some micro-drones onto the hull of the Yeffre, disguised in some debris, dust, and plasma discharge from clearing our Bussard Scoops after the landing on the planet. They could use those drones to track the ship and monitor any communications they made.
Meanwhile, in the Wellness Center, they had 7 patients with respiratory distress conditions that had all begun after the events on Tepesi 2. The patients include Cpl. Homer Kyle and SSgt. Michael "Wrench" Stanson among others.
Cdre. Zak Taylor sat in the Command Seat in the center of the Bridge, sipping a cup of coffee, trying not to look nervous. Behind him, just to his right, stood Lt. Re'Libel Standin, filling in for LtCmdr. Denovan Hawke at the Tactical Station. Beyond Standin, near the starboard bulkhead, Cmdr. Relok sat at the Primary Science Station. Just right of center and forward of the Command Seat, LtCmdr. Jason Carter sat at the Helm station, holding their course towards the Kinshayan border. Beside him was LtCmdr. Tabeshk Tibris at the Operations Console. Along the port bulkhead sat SgtMaj. Derek Hines at the Primary Reconnaissance Station. Col. Travis Patterson stood behind him, leaning over his shoulder, watching the monitor.
Patterson reported, "Still got a good track on the Yeffre."
Relok confirmed, "Still receiving data."
Carter reported, "Approaching the border of Kinshayan space in 20 minutes."
Suddenly a ding sounded. Tabby glanced down then said, "Captain, incoming hail from the Bishop."
Zak let out a sigh and put his cup in the holder on the side of his chair and stood. "Put him through, Tabby," he said.
"Aye," Tabby said and a moment later the big gryphon-like Kinshayan appeared on the main viewer.
"Well, Commodore," Bishop Yazgrom began, "we're almost to the edge of the Holy Order's territory. I must thank you for behaving so ... graciously. But ... I need to tell you of my ..instructions ...," he trailed off.
Patterson had moved back to the Executive Officer's seat just starboard of the Command Seat, but paused before sitting. "Instructions, Bishop?" he asked.
Zak glanced at his XO, then back to the Bishop on the screen. "Yeah, what instructions?"
Hines silently but carefully studied the Bihop's movement and expressions, cataloging them for future reference.
The Bishop continued, "I've been told by the Archbishop to watch you carefully for an hour or so to make sure you don't try to sneak back into our space. And ... I have orders to open fire if you try, or ... if you suddenly disappear."
Patterson turned his head towards the Commodore. Zak glanced at him as well, then back to the Bishop. He gave a shrug. "That's fine, I guess. We don't really have any more business in your space, since you've assured us your government isn't involved in the Klingon-Gorn war, and that you'll take care of that Purity Faction thing. We're done, here, right, Colonel?" He glanced back at his XO.
Patterson rubbed his chin and gave a slight nod in the direction of the Ready Room.
The Kinshayan on the screen flexed his wings, "Ay'eh! Respect! You are an honorable man, Commodore. But, I do have one request, if you'll allow it. Might I come aboard? I have ... a gift for you, if you'll accept."
Relok raised an eyebrow at the offer but said nothing. Tabby, a half-Klingon worried about being identified as such by the Kinshayans - who hate Klingons - was slunk down in his seat trying to be invisible. He said nothing either.
Zak glanced at Patterson again and gave another slight shrug. He was trying desperately to convey the unspoken question of What do you think?
Patterson saw it but glanced over at Hines for a moment. Hines gave a tiny shake of his head, his gut telling him there was deception afoot. Patterson turned back to the Commodore and said softly, "We need to talk first ... in private."
Zak nodded and turned back to Yazgrom, the Kinshayan on the viewer. "Give us a moment, Bishop." He spoke to his Chief of Operations, "Tabby, beam the Bishop to the Observation Lounge. Have someone from Security be there - not a Klingon please."
Tabby grunted, "Okay. You do realize the situation here, Captain. You think he's going to like seeing me, or even worse, Khalgon?"
Zak smiled at him, "Security, Tabby. Like one of Den's guys. Just to keep him company ... and keep him honest while he waits."
Hines took the clue and stepped in for Tabby. He opened a comm-line and called, "Security to the Observation Lounge for a VIP."
Tabby grumbled, "Right."
Then Zak turned to Patterson. "Colonel, in the Ready Room, please?"
Patterson gestured towards the Science Station, "Mr. Relok, you have the Conn." Relok merely gave a nod of acknowledgement and the Colonel and Commodore started towards the Ready Room.
Once inside the Ready Room with the doors shut, Zak sighed, "Yeah, I don't like it either, Travis."
Patterson just stalked over to the replicator. "Whiskey, chilled," he ordered.
Zak leaned against the corner of his desk and said, "I like Yazgrom, I really do. He's been fair and honest with us so far, well, so far as I could tell. But ... something's up. I don't know what this 'gift' is about, but ... I have to take it, right?"
Patterson grabbed his glass, took a swig, exhaled, then said, "Yeah ... I think he's uncomfortable with whatever his orders are."
Zak sighed again and ran his fingers through his greying hair. "Yeah, I read that too. For just a gift, he could beam that over. He wants to be on our ship for a few minutesSo ... let's see what he's got. Good to know we're both on alert. Care to join me in the OL?"
Patterson downed the second half of his drink, then checked the WAR pistol on his hip. "Yeah, let's greet our guest." He gestured towards the door, then followed the Commodore back out and towards the Observation Lounge.
Dr. Adonudo T'lnanuwa, Native American Medicine Man and Chief Medical Officer for the USS Penumbra stood near one of the display monitors attached to an analysis alcove in the Wellness Center, what he'd renamed "Sickbay" when he came aboard. Across the Center, his Assistant Chief, Dr. Katarina Hawke was approaching one of their replicators, finally taking a moment to get a drink of water, clearing her throat once again as she went.
On one biobed was Cpl. Homer Kyle, one of the Marine Specialists of the Pathfinder Group who was with the Demolitions Squad removing damaged buildings at Ground Zero on Tepesi 2 after the bombing. He'd been given some strong pain medicine and now lay quiet, for the moment. On one of the other biobeds, SSgt. Michael "Wrench" Stanson coughed hard for several long seconds, then wheezed and clutched his chest, groaning.
Near Adon was Kat's brother, LtCmdr. Denovan Hawke, the Chief of Security and Tactical OperationsAdon had called him down to take a look at the strange micro-machines they'd found in the sputum sample they'd taken from Cpl. Homer Kyle, one of the patients on one of the biobeds. Den and Kat were both former Borg and knew about Borg technology and their nanites.
Only Den was multi-tasking. When he'd arrived, he'd had a data feed from the micro-drones on the Kinshayan ship transferred to one of the monitors here in the Wellness Center. Once he'd checked in there, he turned his attention to Adon, "Okay, so, now, what am I supposed to look at, Doctor?"
Adon answered, "Ah, yes, over here, Commander." He led Den over to the analyzer station and showed him the zoomed-in view of Kyle's sputum.
Den leaned closer, zooming in and out on the image, then gave a shake of his head. "It's not Borg, but it's some kind of bio-mechanical thing."
Adon nodded, "Yeah, that was Kat's take too, but she wanted a second opinion. But ... if it's not Borg ... what the hell is it and what is it doing to the Corporal?"
Kat retrieved her water from the replicator, took a quick sip, then walked back over to where Wrench lay on his bed. "We'll get you fixed up in no time. You'll have to be careful though, your pneumonia caused such violent coughing you seem to have just caused a few blood vessels in your bronchial tubes to burst." She took another sip of the water, but unfortunately that caused her to start coughing from taking a drink.
Wrench tried to sit up a bit more, squinting at Kat as she coughed. But sitting up caused his chest to hurt and he winced, but managed to ask, "Are ... you feeling okay, Kat?"
She covered her mouth as she coughed a couple more times as she struggled to place the glass of water on a nearby table. Finally she managed, "Yes. I think the water just went down the wrong pipe." Her hand was wet, but as she reached for a cloth to wipe her hands, she noticed blood. She squeezed her hand around the cloth rather than wipe them on it, trying to hide it ... for now.
Wrench groaned, satisfied with her answer, and lay back down again. "Can you treat the pneumonia?"
Kat smiled, in spite of the coughing fit. "It's actually very simple: plenty of fluids, rest, and antibiotics. I'll get you a hypo now." As she turned to get the hypo, she pressed the cloth to her mouth as she coughed into it once again. Her hand gripped the biobed slightly before she slow moved to get a hypo.
By the analyzer, Den asked Adon, "Not sure. Have you looked for a delivery spot, like an injection spot? Or is it airborne, touch?"
Adon shook his head. "We didn't see any injection sites on Kyle or any of the others. I'm thinking it's probably something inhaled down on the planet. Probably at Ground Zero. All that pulverized concrete and stone and dust." Then he straightened quickly and glanced at Den. "Hey, what about Jackal? Maybe it's like those nanites she and Patterson have?"
Den raised an eyebrow. "Um ... I actually haven't looked at theirs closely ... ever, now that you mention it."
Adon tapped his commbadge"Hey, Tsuna, could you happen by the Wellness Center? There's something I'd like you to take a look at."
The voice of his cousin, LtJG Jackal Tsunada, Assistant Chief Engineer, answered, "Yeah?" there was a muffled bang and then, "Ow! God damnit! What?" She'd apparently banged her head on a pipe or something. Her voice softened slightly as she added, "Yeah, yeah, I'm on it. I'll be up soon. Geez, you're a pain in the ass."
Adon smiled and responded, "Love ya, cuz!"
Den had continued thinking on the delivery method for the micro-machines. He said, "That honestly wouldn't surprise me. Though, begs the question, why would there be nanite-type things at Ground Zero?" He heard Kat's coughing fit when she'd choked on the water and turned to check on his sister.
Hearing her explanation about the water, he turned his attention back to his current problem. "We could always introduce one of mine or Kat's nanites to it, or Patterson's, and see what happens. Controlled environment of course."
But Adon also turned towards Kat and asked, "Are you sure you're OK?" He'd noticed her coughing a lot earlier and was growing concerned.
Kat looked over at Adon with Wrench's hypo in one hand and her cloth in the other. She said, "Regrettably, less OK than I thought I was." But she waved him off and he turned his attention back to Den.
Adon said, "I think a controlled experiment might be useful, but maybe we should get a larger sampleI'm sure Mr. Kyle can hock us up another loogie, couldn't you, Kyle?"
The doped-up Corporal mumbled in his Carolina drawl, "Huh? Wayull, sho-nuff, Doc! Gimme a sec!" But then he just groaned and went back to sleep.
Den glared at his sister a moment, giving her "the look" as he said, "Katarina?" It wasn't just the look, either. He'd used her full name!
Kat gripped the hypo even harder as she went into another coughing fit, covering her mouth with the cloth clutched in her other hand. She recognized the look her older brother had given her and it made her cringe. As the fit ended, she glanced at the hand clutching the cloth and noticed her nails were edged with black coloring. She thought to herself, ~That wasn't there before.~
Wrench watched her too. He said, "Uh ... Doc?"
But the doors slid open at that moment as Jackal arrived. She called, "Tsu-tsu!" It was her nickname for her cousin.
Adon waved at her, "Tsuna! Here, come take a look at this!" He waved her over to the monitor where he and Den were standing.
She approached, "Uh-huh, sure."
. Jackal took a look at the display, then straightened. "What the actual hell?"
From across the Wellness Center, Wrench called louder, "Doc!"
Den noticed something "off" with his sister and walked over to her. As he got there, he noticed the cloth and held his hand out, his unspoken command was for her to hand it over, now.
Kat shook her head"You could ...," she coughed, "... be at risk. Probably ..." she coughed again, then said, "... should use a ... containment field."
But Den just glanced around for a quarantine bag or sample bag or something. Finding one nearby he quickly fetched it. "Or this," he said, holding it open for her.
Kat found the energy to roll her eyes at her brother before dropping the bloody cloth into the bag. Wrench's eyes flicked from Kat to Adon and back to Kat.
Den sealed the bag, then glanced up at the doors that had just slid open once again. This time three Marines stumbled through. They were holding each other up and all three were coughing profusely into bloody cloths held to their faces! Den said, "Okay, might be a little obvious, but ... I think this has just elevated."
Adon looked up as the doors slid open. "Oh, this is getting serious!" He rushed over to escort them to biobeds, and noticed he was starting to run out of beds!
Kat put the hypo down so she wouldn't drop it, then turned and called, "Dr. Adon ..." she coughed again before continuing, "Wrench needs that hypo." She went into another coughing fit before finishing, "It's antibiotics for his ..pneumonia."
She went into yet another coughing fit, this one harder and longer. Her body began shaking, wracking with the coughs, and she coughed up more blood. She took a step away from Wrench's biobed but her legs gave out and she collapsed.
Den jumped towards his sister, but thought better of it and stopped, remembering her suggestion about contamination.
Wrench tried to jump up to catch Kat, calling out, "Kat!" but doubled over in pain, clutching his ribs. He managed to shout out, "Computer, activate the EMH!"
The Emergency Medical Hologram (Mark VII or something) manifested in the center of the Wellness Center. According to its programming it began, "Please state the nature of the medical emerg-" and then stopped, glancing around, and said simply, "Oh my!"