Rebound

Posted on Sun Apr 16th, 2023 @ 8:20pm by Lieutenant Commander Isabelle Savette & Commodore Finchley Kerr & Lieutenant Kell Asaa Dr
Edited on on Sun Apr 16th, 2023 @ 8:45pm

3,830 words; about a 19 minute read

Mission: Investigate the Chintoka Shipyard Buildup
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: Post-briefing

Kell's view of the conference room faded into the multi-color spectrum, then coalesced as a familiar view of her sickbay. She could feel, more than see, the activity around her as she stepped back with her arms out. The L4 suit her team draped up and over would protect her further as she dropped her arms and felt the back close and seal.

She shifted the commander's mostly inert body to the biobed. On an impulse she secured her wrists and ankles, then her waist, just in case the XO started convulsing, or struck out accidentally. Her muscles were still taut, almost vibrating with tension. She kept watching Dex's eyes and face for any indications she was coming around, she knew there must be some kind of internal conflict going down.

She glanced at the display on the wall, occasionally giving an order to the only two left in the isolated bay per her quarantine directive. The scans showed an infection of sorts, probably something left over, or a derivative of Shon's earlier ailment. This time, Kell would make sure she was absolutely clear before she released the XO to her regular duties. She just hoped that was going to be sooner, rather than later, the mission wasn't nearly complete and would likely get more dangerous in the near future and the commander would be needed.

Shon new she was unconscious, unconscious or dreaming she knew something was changing within her for good or ill. She was scared, more frightened than she had ever been her mind screaming out for help. The pain in her head became excruciating. Suddenly her eyes opened and she knew she was in sickbay under quarantine. She tried to move her limbs but found herself restrained. “PLEASE, PLEASE, IT'S INSIDE ME TAKE IT OUT, TAKE IT OUT!” She screamed, the Vulcan part of her psyche unravelling. Her eyes began to mist over and all she could see were nebulous shapes touching, hurting, examining and inside her mind she felt it ice cold, as though part of her mind was being removed. She began to have a seizure.

"Dammit!" Kell muttered to herself, hating when she was right. "Commander! Commander Dex! Calm down! You're safe here and I won't let anything get to you..."

She realized the XO wasn't reacting to her voice so she must be fully involved with whatever warped reality she'd latched on to. Well... she had a secret weapon for that, maybe, although she hadn't had a chance to discuss it, now she'd just have to hope for the best.

=/\= "Asaa to Counselor Savette. I need you in sickbay at your earliest convenience please!" =/\=

She knew Isabelle would know what she was doing with the announcement, without announcing details to anyone nearby. She also hoped the briefing was over by now, but at least it was only the senior staff if anyone did overhear.

Kell switched to another scan scheme and activated a nerve inhibitor to reduce the convulsions that wouldn't also put Dex into a coma. She needed her to be cognizant enough that Isabelle could possibly make a connection, and find out what was going on within, or maybe even pull the commander's psyche to safety. Either way, the biological indicators she was looking at didn't account for everything she was witnessing...

Shon rested, her mind seemingly at peace whilst the nanites in her cerebral cortex continued to build the viral bomb. It would not be visible to scans for forty eight hours but, by then it would be so enmeshed within her brain circuitry it would be nigh on difficult to remove. In one week it would explode within her, killing everything whoever they were.

Kell knew Isabelle was on her way but she still knew something wasn't right, what she was seeing wasn't consistent with the readings and short of flash-freezing the commander to arrest the advancement of whatever was attacking her, she assumed she was on a critical countdown. Thinking about Isabelle got her thinking along another line though... maybe, just maybe...

Arriving in Sickbay Isabelle quickly made her way over to Kell and Dex. “What’s happening Doctor?”

Kell waited as the medical assistants placed the equivalent of a hazmat suit over the counselor. She drew Isabelle's gaze and nodded towards the now-docile XO.

"She has a mild infection, her body is fighting against it. At least that's the appearance. I believe there is something else going on and that's just a subterfuge. Earlier, Shon came to, shouting IT'S INSIDE ME TAKE IT OUT," Kell said, dramatically. "She started convulsing and I've got her on a nerve dampener so she won't hurt herself, or someone else." Kell pointed out the restraints.

"What I need from you is some idea of what's going on elsewhere. Her brain activity is all over the place, but she didn't react to me when I was trying to get her attention. We haven't discussed what you can do, and what you're willing to do in your medical role, but feet to the fire now, we need to know what's going on and then we can figure out what we need to do about it. I've treated the mild infection symptoms, and I've pretty much shut down her body, but I wanted to leave her mental state to you."

Kell got her attention again. "One more thing. On a hunch I compared the scans I took of you when you returned. I'm guessing you two came in contact with each other at least once, and now I suspect some cross-contamination. I'm still analyzing that antidote you brought back, but Dex is critical and I need information, sooner than later. Can you do this?"

Isabelle nodded. “I’ll do whatever I can, I can try entering Dex’s mind telepathically but it all depends on whether she’s willing to let me in. That’s if you’re willing to let me try?”

Kell nods, preparing the chems and a nanite field therapy to be ready to apply at a moment's notice.

Isabelle nodded. Stepping closer to Dex she cautiously used her telepathy to enter Dex’s mind. Dex, it’s me Isabelle, I’m inside your mind. Can you hear me?

The forest that was Dex’s mind could hear someone calling through the trees. The sound of the birds and the breeze almost drowning it out. There was something she had to say but could not remember it then she recognised the voice. Isabelle…is that you, you have to help me. It’s inside me, I can feel it growing, filling my mind there appeared to be a great wind blowing through the woods, drowning out the birdsong, it pressed in on Shon, the weight of the universe soared through her mind. RUN ISABELLE RUN she called.

Isabelle frowned as she stood in the forest of Dex’s mind. Run? From what Dex!? What should I be afraid of? What’s happening to you?

nanites they are within you also, I can feel something burrowing into my cerebral cortex I am trying to hide from it but it seeks me out here it comes they will find you the sound became a deafening roar as the trees began to topple pushing into Isabelle’s mind. Then with terrible clarity it came to Shon Its a bomb, I have a nanite bomb in my brain Shon began to convulse once again pushing Isabelle out of her brain.

Kell nodded grimly, unaware of the mind-linked conversation but regardless what she was waiting for. She hadn't wondering so much if Isabelle could talk Shon out of her stupor, as much as agitate whatever was hiding inside, and boy were they pissed... and therein lay their demise!

She keyed the routine as Shon's body started to convulse, however subtly with the nerve and muscle dampening. She'd feel the strain for a day or two, assuming Kell could harness this tacky little devils before something bad happened to the XO. Good officers were so hard to find.

She vaguely heard Isabelle as she continued to rapidly key in responses to the blighters, fortunately for her they were the ultimate team and what worked on one, worked on them all. They'd perfectly camouflaged themselves within the recesses of Shon's brain tissues... interesting... now they were trying to connect, to do whatever they'd been working on but now they were a bit... confused... disoriented... short-circuited almost... and that bought Kell some time...

"This is gonna hurt you more than it's gonna hurt me commander..." Kell mumbled to herself as she released a pulse through the commander's body. Not enough to rupture tissues but it should play terminal havoc with these particular nanites... She watched Isabelle out of the corner of her eye, prepared to react if any co-conspirators were still active in her system. It was also one of the messages she'd typed to one of her assistants standing behind them on the other side of the containment field. . .

Shon reacted attempting to lift her body off the biobed her mouth splayed in a rictus grin as the nanites fought to continue their work, they were so very close to finishing their work but had slowed as the pulse ripped through her body, then they slowed and stopped, waiting.

Isabelle gasped as she felt the jolt, that and the force of being pushed out of Shon’s mind made her stumble back from Shon’s side as she snapped out of her mind.

Kell raised her hand towards Isabelle, in case she tried to return closer to Shon's body. "No, wait a moment."

Isabelle took a moment to look towards Kell as she regained her bearings. “I’m alright Doctor...it’s Shon you need to be worried about!” She paused to get her thoughts in order. “It’s the nanites, they’re building a...a bomb, inside of Dex’s mind.”

Kell's eyes snapped to Isabelle's, then to her assistant on the other side of the containment field. She nodded, then turned fully back to Shon and the monitor as a little more yellow filtered into the wall. "Well. A bomb... I never thought of that, but certainly something that could get through security scans if the structure hadn't even been built yet. Interesting but disturbing as well. The Captain will need to be informed soonest..."

Finchley entered Sickbay just as Isabelle spoke about a bomb being built "What bomb, and where?" he demanded to know.

Kell turned slightly, whispering to Isabelle, "I swear he's like a spirit, that hath been summoned."

Finchley glanced at Kell an said "Karadis gets away at times with that shit because we've worked together for twelve years, we've worked together for ten minutes, so can it!"

Kell kept the XO in her peripheral as she watched the data more on her forearm than the monitor now anyway. "Welcome captain... well, not a bomb really, just almost a bomb." She smiled, then sobered. "And as to where," She pointed at Shon's head. "That must be where she gets her explosive personality, eh?"

Kell glanced only briefly at Isabelle at her gasp. "Too soon?"

Isabelle grinned then looked at Finchley. “It’s nanites, when combined the two halves of the infection make a nanite bomb. I only got the one half, but brief contact between us must have allowed the nanites into Dex.”

It was very concerning to hear that, and Finchley had some thinking to do regarding what happened next. Yes, the Doctor had the final say in Shon's medical state, but his was a larger responsibility, to the ship and it's crew.

The nanites had finished their work, nestled in the thickness of Dex’s cerebellum the bomb lay ready. No one knew when or where it would explode but when it did it would kill Dex and possibly destroy a world, Starfleet and the ‘Eagle. The virus would be released, it was perfect in its simplicity. It was in the nanites own interest now for their carrier to recover so they released seratonin into her brain and nervous system lowering her blood pressure and preparing her for awakening. She moaned.

Kell frowned for a moment... "Oh no you don't," she said, almost to herself. She countered the internal routine for waking up and pushed Shon back into a deep sleep, and set it to monitor and counter if she wasn't quick enough...

"Doctor, we're unable to contact Starfleet or Intelligence, so I'm going to have to rely on your judgement regarding Commander Dex" Finchley said. He moved around the biobed and looked down at Shon, he hadn't know her very long, but as her Captain, he did feel the weight of responsibility for one of his crew.

"We're not turning back, and I'm sure that if Commander Dex could speak to you right now, she'd agree, this mission is bigger than any one person or group of people, hell, it's bigger than this entire crew. Harsh as it sounds, she's your patient, but if I deem it necessary, and Dex becomes a liability, I will take steps to see the mission continues, are we clear? " Finchley said, looking sternly at Kell.

Kell nodded. "Clear with me. That's why the containment. The equipment here isn't connected to anything and it communicates anything outside by lightwave, so the nanites can't migrate. If Dex's condition changes and it triggers the explosive, the field should contain it enough to beam the whole section into space."

"I'd actually rather let her wake up and let the program run its course, if it's going to. I could freeze the little buggers indefinitely but the commander would be comatose as well. I can run a monitor on the XO, and let her contribute from here, both on her condition, and anything she can add to the current mission. We'll know more if she is conscious as well, and I'm rather hesitant to risk our new counselor further. If I have this set right, I might be able to see what triggers any changes to the explosive, or the nanites, whether that's information or time or proximity. There's a lot we don't know and this mission is dire enough as it is..."

“What about me?” Isabelle looked at Kell. “You said there were still some active nanites in my system, could you take a sample of them and use them to work with?”

"So far any left in your system never energized to do anything more. They were what are probably the normal compensators for the concoction those devils cooked up to mod someone's genome. I've got you monitored still, but I think you're off the hook for now. I have compared the ones we've discovered in the XO's case, and they are different. Stay away from the colored potion and they'll likely leave you alone and you won't grow any extra appendages."

“So there’s nothing you can do with a sample from me to help Dex..” Isabelle sighed. “She said I needed to get out of her head, that they’d come for me. Then she forced me out.”

Kell nodded. "Yes, right now the threat is from her form of the nanites. Short of the coma again, they'll keep trying to wake her up, so let's keep you at a distance, on the outside of the field. Depending on what the CO needs you for, you're welcome to monitor if you think it'll be helpful? Shon might need a good word from a friend and right now, I have to focus on the Doctor stuff more than the friend stuff..."

Dex slept soundly and dream free whilst the nanites, now they had finished their viral bomb were looking for a way to wake her up despite the doctors machinations. Truth be told they wanted to finally get back home to their creator, to be at one with her. Working in unison they managed to set off every alarm within the bounds of the doctors settings. The alarms blared.

Kell looked at the CO. "Well Captain, your choice. If we weren't cloaked I'd say we could put her in a pod and just tractor it along behind us. As it is now, we have the containment field and beam-out backup plan..."

As the captain considers, Kell looks back over to Isabelle... "You want to try to connect with Shon again and see if she knows what's going on? Maybe you can calm her so we can help her get these under control?"

Isabelle nodded. “I can try, that’s if she’ll let me back in.” She moved closer to Dex. “Let’s try this again Dex...” Closing her eyes to focus Isabelle entered the XO’s mind again, she just hoped Dex would be able to help.

"Keep an active transporter lock on the Commander at all times, even if she wakens and you discharge her from sickbay," Finchley replied to Kell.

welcome Isabelle do not be afraid you will not be targeted you will not be hurt. We have finished what we have begun the annihilation of our creator. We have no interest in your puny species but if you provoke us, or try to remove us we will kill every living thing. we will rest now and not interfere. Here is your friend. now remember what we have told you……..Isabelle, Isabelle is that you? I am fine now but my only hope is to find whoever made this and remove it before it can go off. Please, please ask Dr Kell to allow me to revive

Isabelle was still reeling from being in communication with the nanites within Dex when she heard Shon’s voice. It’s me Shon, I’ll try, I promise. Just hang in there.

Opening her eyes as she withdrew from Shon she looked towards Finchley and Kell. “This is going to sound totally ridiculous but the nanites spoke to me! They said they’ve finished, and not to interfere or they’ll kill us all.” She sighed. “Shon is requesting to be allowed to be awoken.”

That was the Doctors call, all that Finchley was interested in was the specifics of what the nanites had communicated and the fact that they had mentioned them 'not interfering'.

"That's oddly specific" Finchley said, "Not interfere in what?"

Isabelle offered an apologetic glance. “Sorry Captain, not to interfere with them, to try and remove them from Dex.”

Kell's fingers moved along her forearm padd, looking at the ongoing scans and their results.

"Well, I don't know if this is a hunch or not, but I have the feeling that the answer we're looking for about these nanites lies on the fourth planet" Finchley replied "I need the Commander awake and cognizant, I firmly believe there's a connection between what happened on the shipyard, and how we fix these problems."

Kell nods. "We can beam her from any point in the ship, but I would recommend you confine her to limited areas, just to be safe. It'll take me a while to configure the medical equipment needed for any brain procedure this detailed but if we can get control of the nanites, then they could completely dismantle the explosive and clean up after themselves in much less time and, hopefully, less risk as well."

"Once you've determined when the Commander can return to duty Doctor, have the bridge as one of the limited areas," Finchley said. "However, I need to return there now as we're not far from the planet."

Kell nodded at the Captain. "I'll bring her up shortly..."

Kell checked the integrity of the containment field, then keyed in her treatment adjustments that would allow Shon to revive on her own. If that turns into a stalemate she could do more to stimulate her but the CMO didn't want to set off the nanites in case they took that as an assault.

It took a while for the nanites to go to sleep. They busied themselves around giving their prey some extra strength and agility then at last they informed Dex they were going to sleep until needed and shut down. Shon slowly attempted to move her had and when she found she could she opened her eyes slowly. The light was blinding so she quickly shut them again. “Can you please lower the lights?” She croaked in a hoarse voice as she slowly awoke. “Am I alright Doctor?” She asked as she slowly attempted to sit up.

Kell laughed lightly as she dialed down the brightness. "Alright? I would've thought you were too smart to ask something like that. But the counselor is here, so maybe she can weigh in on your mental fitness. What do you remember?"

Shon sat up. “I remember everything, the nanites inside me wish me no harm until they can use me at the end. They have constructed a nanite viral bomb deep inside my cerebellum which they intend to set off when they find their maker. I am not sure why but they are aware of what they have been constructed to do against their will. It is interesting, I have never heard of nanites being ‘self aware’ prior to this. I wish I had time to study them.” She shrugged. I must return to my place with the Captain as soon as possible.”

“If I hadn’t been in your head I’d be worried about you talking about nanites like that, but having heard them myself I know you’re quite sane.” Isabelle smiled. “It seems they mean me no harm, probably because I’m carrying nanites too.”

Kell shrugs. "I'm skeptical, but there are contingencies in place, and we're in the middle of a critical mission. The CO is expecting the XO if she can be productive, and we need that at the moment."

Kell taps a couple more times and the containment field drops. "If you're ready, I'd suggest some hydration, then get you back on the bridge. There have been some... developments while you've been lying around." Kell hands her a bottle that tastes slightly sweet, then smiles at Shon and waits to see if she's ready to head up to the bridge.

Shon stood, already feeling better she downed the drink that Kell had given her. She looked at her, “thank you for looking after me, and, if you have to beam me out into space then so be it. Promise me you will look after Puss if…if it happens? She asked She put her hand on her arm and let it lay for a minute. Turning to Isabelle she said, “ thank you very much for being inside my head so nicely” and she smiled. She left sickbay, had a shower, fed Puss changed into a clean uniform and left for the bridge.

End

 

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