A riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma: Part 3

Posted on Thu Apr 6th, 2023 @ 4:38pm by Lieutenant Commander Isabelle Savette & Commodore Finchley Kerr
Edited on on Thu Apr 6th, 2023 @ 4:40pm

1,708 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Investigate the Chintoka Shipyard Buildup
Location: Chin'toka shipyard
Timeline: Current

Old]

Shon wondered who the shadowy figure behind Kerr was. Tall and cloaked the hood completely covering the face provided no way of recognising the species. Through Dex’s eyes however the figure showed a malevolence that implied coercion. Her eyes closed for a minute to try to control the headache that throbbed inside her. Her eyes narrowed. “I do not think so captain. These species do not exist so why attempt to experiment on them. No I believe they are experimenting, possibly developing a new race of soldiers to replace the Jem Hadar.” Looking towards the door she could hear again the ‘swish, swish of the prehensile tail as it passed along the corridor. She turned towards Kerr the figure behind him gone.

[New]

"Perhaps you're correct Commander, it just seemed a plausible line of thought" Finchley replied, briefly smiling wanly at Shon. "Is everything alright, you seem a little distracted?"

“I am sorry sir, I feel as though I am burning up” she looked around “and I also am sure we are not alone. Sir I think We must return to that surgical room unless you wish us to go further?” Shon wanted to ask him who that figure had been standing beside him.

Finchley looked at Isabelle and Shon "What happened in that surgical unit when you were both in there, did either of you touch anything, handle anything, pick up anything?"

Shon looked at Isabelle. “I remember looking into a cabinet. There was a bottle on it’s side, I lifted it back it was full of blue fluid. I am….not sure, I was concentrating on the bones and..I don't remember Captain.”

Isabelle looked at Finchley. “I didn’t touch anything in there, Dex told me to go and find you, while she gathered evidence to take back with us. Chances are if there was an airborne agent that we both inhaled it.”

"We need to get back there" Finchley replied "and both if you show me exactly what you did and what you touched."

“I need to collect those bones for the CMO to look at anyway” Dex said. She was sure the Captain wanted to hide something he knew about. The headache was getting worse and she stumbled, leaning up against a wall she breathed heavily. “I have to stop for a minute.”

Finchley was concerned, Shon was fine before she'd gone into the surgical unit, but since coming out, she'd seemed distracted and also unsure on her feet.

"Lieutenant, help the Commander, let's get out of here and back to that room."

“Yes Sir” Isabelle gently took hold of Shon’s arm. “Lean on me if you need to.”

It took a little while for them to return there, but once inside, he said "Ok, you two can rest up. Point out exactly where this cabinet is that you checked Commander."

Dex looked around, the room was now full of moving shadows and noises, not knowing who was friend or foe Dex shouted and drew her phaser. She pushed Isabelle to the floor and called out “Lookout Captain, ambush, three aliens!” She dived behind the surgical platform and began firing wildly. A figure rushed towards her torso open so she could see it’s beating positronic heart. More alien creatures poured in through the door, “Captain your six!” She called desperately . Then everything slowed down as though a watch was being wound backwards. Dex dropped her phaser and sat still her pupils wide and seeing nothing.

Finchley saw no-one inside the room as he drew his phaser, who on earth was Shon seeing?

Then as she fired, the beam narrowly passed him, he turned towards the doorway, it to was clear. As he watched Shon, she just 'gave up' and sat very still. He walked over to her and crouched down. Taking her gently by the shoulder he said "Commander, which cabinet did you go to?"

Shon stood, the fight gone out of her for the moment. She walked across the room to the small glass cabinet and the blue liquid filled bottle which she had recapped. “I think I got a drop of this on me Captain, I’m sorry, first rule, touch nothing.” Then she looked up, the whispering had begun again. “Captain I think I am hearing and seeing things.”

“We need to get medical help down here Captain” Isabelle looked at Finchley. “Until such time as we determine what that liquid is none of us can return to the ship. We could end up taking back heavens knows what, and with telepathy if I start hallucinating I could unintentionally end up hurting someone,”

"By the sounds of it, you didn't touch it" Finchley replied "and you're not suffering hallucinations or hearing things. I'm not suffering any effects, just he Commander" he pondered.

Looking at Shon, he made an unusual choice "Commander, what's your take on this, should you return to the ship, or should we see what else is in here?"

Shon looked at Isabelle and shrugged. “I doubt that there is much we can do here, there is nothing we can use and, as we are not medically trained there is little we can do. Also there is always the danger we will be discovered by whoever else is here. Conversely going back to the ship puts our crew mates at risk unless we are put in quarantine. I would prefer to return to the ship but medical has the last decision.”

Finchley was stuck between a rock and a hard place. His XO was compromised by their own admittance, so basically out of things, he and the Chief Counsellor weren't as far as he could tell. He could send them both back to quarantine till they knew what this liquid was and how it affected them, but that would curtail their search of the 'yard . Or, he could ask them to continue what they'd begun, work out who these Dominion forces were and why the 'yard was so vital to them.

"Ok" he said, coming to a decision "Lieutenant, take the Commander back to the Blackeagle, but make sure all quarantine procedures are followed from the moment you set foot back onboard to the moment you're both isolated. Work with Medical to see what this liquid is that spilled onto the Commander and se if there's an antidote. Meantime, I still need to find out what's happening here. I'll do a further reccy and come back in a few hours. "

“Aye Sir” Isabelle nodded. “Be careful Captain, we don’t know who, or what, you’ll find down here.”

Shon shook her head feeling a little clearer. “No, we need to stay, this is an opportunity for us to find out what is going on. I will not return to the ship putting everyone in danger. This..whatever it is may dissipate.” she looked at Kerr defying him to refuse.

Finchley's natural instinct was to berate any officer who looked to defy his orders, but that was beaten down as he saw genuine intent in Shon to see through the orders he'd originally set out for them to achieve.

"Very well Commander" he said "But at the first sign of you having any kind of relapse into these 'vision', or you firing at something that not there but is in your imagination, you return to the ship. Make no bones about it, I'll make you return."

He looked at both Shon and Isabelle, and said "Listen up. During the Dominion War, there was a Ferengi called Quark who used a ruse regarding Mutagenic weapons...biogenic weapons. This ruse was named Varaxian LM-7, but it never really existed, it was a code name he used. Long story short, he tricked his way out of the situation when the real Mutagenic weapon was sold on to someone else. However, the nickname 'Varaxian LM-7' was used as a code by the Federation for any unexplained biogenic weapons that were further discovered, but nothing was known about. I lied to you both when I said I didn't go anywhere when you came in her first time around. I had information from a source who said they knew where to find it here, so I went to a laboratory not far from this unit and found the information. I know it's not great that I did this with you, and I am sorry, however, I don't know you and I don't know if I can trust you, hence me going alone. But, short as our time has been together, I now get the sense that I can trust you both, so...we need to get back to that lab and see what else is there, what other information we can uncover. The draw back is that those three goons you sent on the wild goose chase might now have discovered it was just that and could be heading back this way. We need to go now and we need to work fast."

Isabelle nodded. “So whatever Dex came into contact with is possibly one of these unknown biological agents? If it is that could be a big problem.”

"Right now, as hard as it sounds, we can't worry about that" Finchley replied, but looking at Shon added "Though if you begin to feel ill, you will say so."

Shon turned to her. “You may well be right, but as the Captain says we can’t worry about it right now. If you have any symptoms, fever, hallucinations let us know, are you okay Lieutenant?”

“So far so good” Isabelle nodded. “I’m hoping it stays that way.”

“I promise you Captain I will keep it under control and, if it gets worse I will inform you.” She straightened herself up ignoring the slight visual disturbance to her left. “Where shall we go now Sir?”

Isabelle had ‘zoned’ out as she had noticed a small strange coloured blemish on her hand, a peculiar shade of blue. She was about to mention it when she let out a pained cry. “What in the hell?...” She held up her hand which now also had what looked like a metallic implant on the back. “I think we have another problem...”

[Tbc]

 

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