ST: Flight of the Vanguard (Ep. 1 "Death's Other Kingdom" Game Thread - closed)
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		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Light =&gt; Light: Exotic Small Groups =&gt; Topic started by: Cyrano Johnson on 21-10-2013, 05:15:20</h2>
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				Title: <strong>ST: Flight of the Vanguard (Ep. 1 "Death's Other Kingdom" Game Thread - closed)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cyrano Johnson</strong> on <strong>21-10-2013, 05:15:20</strong>
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				<div align="center">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/d/de/Original-text-cropped.jpg)</div><br>This thread is for posting completed Scenes from the <em>Star Trek: Flight of the Vanguard</em> RP's Pilot Episode, "Death's Other Kingdom." Only the GM should post here.<br><br><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size: 24pt;" class="bbc_size">EPISODE ONE: DEATH'S OTHER KINGDOM</span><br><span style="font-size: 18pt;" class="bbc_size">SCENE ZERO: OPENING TEASER</span></strong></div><br><div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/8/8c/Segea_IV.jpg)</div>Stardate 310.1: The <em>Vanguard</em> is thirty-two days out of space dock. Having resupplied a terraforming station and spent four days lending her sensor and computer resources to an observatory studying curious "light-storms" on the night side of a tide-locked planet in the Urien System, <em>Vanguard</em> has intercepted a distress signal from Palmyra Station, an archaeological research base on Segea IV. <br><br>Curiously, the message came not from the team's leader, Dr. Julian DeVries, but from a Vulcan member of the research staff identifying himself as Dr. Sonvek. It was low-key, simply saying&nbsp; “requesting help in evaluating unusual occurrences and a possible life-form on surface of Segea IV.” Still, Palmyra Station is a potential feather in the Federation Science Council's cap and it doesn't do to take chances, so the <em>Vanguard</em> has gone to emergency factor-7 space-warp to investigate.<br><br>She has just finished the twelve-day crossing to the Segea System. It’s early in the morning and the Captain and her crew are on the bridge, completing a routine systems test as the vessel goes into orbit and confirming that all systems are nominal. Everyone is at their bridge stations -- save Commander Yuuna, who is off-watch, her station being manned by JSO Ensign Eriksson -- including Adams at the Engineering station as he double-checks the bridge interfaces with the Engine rooms. The Doctor, for her part, has come to the bridge to report everything in order in Sickbay... and to take a gander at Segea IV.&nbsp; Lt. Bremen is at the helm, Harper at Navigation, Chief Parata is manning the security station.<br><br>As the U.S.S. <em>Vanguard</em> settled into orbit around the turbulent orange sphere of Segea IV, the bridge crew worked at their stations, each focused on their task.<br><br><strong>“Assuming stationary orbit around Segea IV, Captain.”</strong> From her station at the helm, Lieutenant Angelica “Angel” Bremen brought the ship smoothly out of warp over their target.<br><br>Captain Jaya L. Chandra was standing right beside the Lieutenant, leaning on the console with one hand. She nodded wordlessly to acknowledge Bremen’s update, then turned to look over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow in query.<br><br>She was looking to the only other person on the bridge not working at a duty station: Dr. Marah Tren, the <em>Vanguard</em>’s Andorian chief medical officer, who stood in her usual place to the side of the command chair, observing as she often did whenever something of interest was happening on the bridge. While Chandra was tempted to poke fun at the Doctor’s perpetual presence, the truth was she was always glad to hear her input. Indeed, she'd already come to seek it out, as she did now.<br><br><strong>“I don’t quite know what to make of it all,”</strong> Tren obliged.<strong> “If the message were meant literally then there would be no reason to send it as a distress call. But if there is a danger to justify using an emergency channel, then one wouldn’t expect a Vulcan of all people to be so vague about the nature of the problem. Maybe there’s something going on that just can’t be discussed on an open channel—something that would affect Federation security?”</strong><br><br>Chandra raised herself up from leaning on the helm console, turned, and strolled casually toward the science station. <strong>“Let’s not jump ahead of the facts we have, Doctor. So far all we know is what the message said: that Dr. Sonvek was—” </strong>she affected a passable imitation of the Vulcan scientist’s mannerisms from his message<strong> “—‘requesting help evaluating unusual occurrences and a possible life-form on the surface’. Use of the emergency channel notwithstanding, I don’t see anything there that implies threat...”</strong> Chandra pulled absently at her lower lip while she made her way diagonally across the bridge.<strong> “... yet.”</strong><br><br>From the engineering station, the chief engineer Lieutenant Commander Kevin Adams – on the bridge to oversee some systems checks – spoke up.<strong> “He’s Vulcan,"</strong> the engineer’s Londoner’s accent softened the blunt observation somewhat. <strong>“Love ’m or hate ’m, you can count on their information being facts.”</strong><br><br>It was the kind of pertinent observation Chandra expected from Chief Adams, and she acknowledged it with a silent nod as she started to lapse into her own thoughts. Always tempted by a mystery, she considered the possibilities.<br><br><strong>“He didn’t sound frightened, but then I wouldn’t expect that even if the planet were breaking up beneath him,”</strong> Tren noted wryly. <strong>“Regardless, I’d like to be part of the away team—unknown threats have a nasty habit of leading to medical emergencies.”</strong><br><br><strong>“Don’t worry, Doctor,”</strong> Chandra grinned at Dr. Tren, <strong>“you’ll get a chance to stretch your legs on this one. If we are dealing with a new life-form, we’re going to need your expertise.”</strong> She moved to the science station where Ensign Magnus Eriksson was filling in. <strong>“Well?”</strong> she said to Eriksson, nodding with her chin toward the sensor readouts. <strong>“Got anything that might help shed some light on what we might be walking into?”</strong><br><br>Eriksson stared at his instruments with a frown, working the controls as if he felt they were hiding something from him. <strong>“Strange,”</strong> he murmured.<strong> “I’m scanning Palmyra... only life form I’m reading is the Vulcan. Maybe the scanners are out of alignment.”</strong><br><br><div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/f/f6/Planet-Scan.gif)</div>Chandra straightened up, tensing as she immediately felt an alarm go off in her head. The likelihood that this was merely a sensor glitch was remote – there was no way the Chief Engineer would have failed to ensure the sensors were properly aligned before their arrival at the site of a distress call. Could Eriksson have made a mistake? Silently Chandra cursed the scheduling quirk that had chief science officer Commander Yuuna off duty now – but of course she kept that opinion to herself.<br><br><strong>“Mister Adams,” </strong>she said sharply as she moved around the railing to stand behind Eriksson,<strong> “please check the sensors.”</strong> That would rule that possibility out. As for the other possibility: <strong>“How many people were supposed to be at that station?”</strong> she asked Eriksson.<br><br><strong>“Station complement should be twenty-three research staff and forty-one maintenance and technical staff,” </strong>he reported. <strong>“Widening the scan area... stand by....”</strong><br><br>From the engineering station, Chief Adams confirmed what Chandra already suspected: <strong>“Sensors are fully functional, Captain, I suggest we try hailing Dr Sonvek.”</strong><br><br>Lieutenant Miguel Cortez Garrido, communications officer, spoke up: <strong>“Prepared for secure hailing frequency, Captain.”</strong><br><br>Chandra raised a finger to signal Cortez to hold off on opening communications just yet, and quickly made her way back across the bridge to Dr. Tren’s side. She moved close to the Doctor and lowered her voice so that – as far as it was possible – her words would not carry well beyond the pair. <strong>“Marah, I think it goes without saying that right now one of the most likely possibilities is that this Sonvek went space happy, and attacked the rest of the station personnel. If we get him on the line, I’d like you to pay close attention to everything he says and does. I’d like an assessment of his mental state. Strictly off the record, for now.”<br></strong><br><strong>“Understood,” </strong>Marah replied quietly. She hesitated a moment.<strong> “It’s also possible he’s the only survivor of an alien attack or infestation—please try to be delicate. Vulcans may not show anguish, but they still feel it.”</strong><br><br>Chandra nodded thoughtfully at Tren’s advice, feeling for a moment the weight of the situation, before professionally pushing the fear aside. She moved to the side of the captain’s chair opposite Tren, and signaled Cortez to continue.<br><br><strong>“Aye, Captain,”</strong> Cortez responded to the Captain's silent order.<strong> “He's responding to our hail. Secure channel open, on mainscreen now.”</strong><br><br>Chandra cleared her throat, relaxed her body, and spoke in a friendly, casual tone: <strong>“Palmyra Station, this is the USS <em>Vanguard</em>, Captain Jaya L. Chandra commanding. We are responding to your emergency message. What is the nature of the emergency?”</strong><br><br>The image appeared on the viewscreen just a moment later, and despite her mental preparations, Chandra was taken aback by the sight. At first, the image resolved to what appeared to be an empty office, with strangely dim lighting. A moment later, a Vulcan, dressed in the manner of a scientist, took a seat in front of the camera. It was immediately apparent that something was very wrong. The impeccable control and calmness one normally associated with Vulcans was shattered – Sonvek was haggard and sweaty, his eyes sunken and bleary. His skin did not have the normal greenish pallor of Vulcan skin, but rather was pale and wan.<br><br>He spoke into the viewscreen haltingly in a deep, precise voice. <strong>“In the event that this is not some sort of hallucination or mental illusion, I shall respond to your hail,” </strong>he said, then paused to catch his breath, as if steadying himself before continuing.<br><br><strong>“I am Sonvek of Vulcan. I am the sole survivor...”</strong> – he suddenly began to twitch one eye, and shake slightly –<strong> “... to the best of my knowledge. The other members of the expedition have...”</strong> – the twitching became more severe and he seemed to be having trouble focusing on the video pick up now – <strong>“... been taken.... I require assistance....”</strong> His hands went to his head, as if he had a severe headache, and he exhaled forcefully. When he spoke again, it was in a cadence as if he were quoting something:<strong> “‘Cast out fear. There is no room for anything else until you cast out fear.’”</strong><br><br>Seeing Dr. Sonvek in such a state, Chandra was alarmed. Her concerns about Sonvek potentially being a menace were momentarily forgotten, and she immediately switched her focus to attempting to rescue the Vulcan. <strong>“Mister Adams, get a transporter lock on Dr. Sonvek and prepare to beam him up. Mister Cortez, notify Sick Bay.” </strong>Dr. Tren’s duty would be to oversee the preparations for receiving a patient, but with a quick look and a gesture behind her back, Chandra signalled for the Doctor to stay a moment.<br><br>Chandra turned her attention back to the screen, trying to recover her composure as much as possible. <strong>“I assure you, Dr. Sonvek, we are no hallucination. If you like, we will be ready to beam you up momentarily. The others: they have been taken? By whom? Where are they now, Dr. Sonvek?”</strong><br><br>Sonvek’s hands had dropped away from his head as he seemed to acknowledge the Captain for the first time. <strong>“It is satisfactory to note your arrival, Captain. I... I... Iiiiiiiii....”</strong> Once more Sonvek put his hand to his head, and squeezed his eyes tightly. <strong>“If you are in fact a real.... Uhnnnh.... Pardon me, Captain, it’s gotten much worse....”</strong><br><br>One fist came down from his head, and the table before Sonvek acquired a sizable dent in its metal and plastic structure. The other hand stayed covering his eyes, but the grimace on his face was still clear.&nbsp; <strong>“The Mysterium... the monolith, Captain. It’s becoming unbearable. They are there, somehow, somewhere....”</strong><br><br>At these words, Chandra blinked in surprise, and hope rose in her once again. <em>“They are there”</em>... could he mean the other expedition personnel? Could they be nearby? Chandra looked to Eriksson – who should have completed his wide-area scan – but he met her eyes and shook his head. No sign of anyone but the Vulcan, for at least a ten kilometer radius. Chandra felt her heart sink. <br><br><strong>“Let me get my team briefed, Dr. Sonvek. Stand by a moment,” </strong>Chandra said, then gave Cortez the signal to mute the audio pickups so that Sonvek would not hear her crew talking. She turned her back to the screen, too, so that her lips could not be read, then looked at Tren and asked softly: <strong>“Well? What are the risks of bringing him up?”</strong><br><br>Obviously, the Doctor had had a similar train of thought, and had an answer ready. <strong>“Captain, I recommend we implement full quarantine procedures from the transporter room through to sickbay. It might also be a good idea to have a small security escort, as long as they’re familiar with all the quarantine protocols.”</strong><br><br><strong>“Well, Doctor,” </strong>Chandra mused, twirling her hair with a finger absently. <strong>“I’ve got a dilemma here. If there’s something dangerous down there, I’d rather beam him up than send a team down. On the other hand, I might be bringing the wolf right into the flock.”</strong><br><br><strong>“There are risks either way,” </strong>Tren agreed, <strong>“but I’ll have access to better diagnostic and treatment options in sickbay than I would on the surface.”</strong><br><br>That was a fair point. It was also true that if there was a menace on the surface, it was a menace that had already taken over sixty of the Federation’s top archaeological researchers, and left Sonvek in this state – in other words, a danger that should not be taken lightly. On the other hand, if Sonvek were beamed up, the two most likely hazards – a pathogen, and a deranged Vulcan – were both theoretically manageable. It seemed unwise to beam into the maw of an unknown something that had already shown itself to be so dangerous.<br><br>Chandra was not normally a gambler, but sometimes you just have to take a risk.<br><br><strong>“We’ll bring him up,” </strong>she announced, with finality, though it was not clear whether she was trying to impress Tren with her confidence, or herself. She raised her voice to issue orders to the bridge crew: <strong>“Mister Adams, see if you can seal off Transporter Room 1, Sick Bay, and the corridors between – isolate the ventilation, whatever you can manage quickly. Mister Parata,” </strong>she added to the Chief of the Boat at the security station: <strong>“Get a guard detail ready in Transporter Room 1. Marah, you’re in charge – make sure Moko’s men are briefed on what to expect. And please be careful. I don’t want anyone ending up like that table....”</strong><br><br>Finally, orders issued, she allowed a moment for everything to start in motion, then signalled to Cortez to re-enable the audio pickup.<br><br><strong>“Dr. Sonvek,” </strong>she said, once more trying to sound relaxed and confident for the Vulcan’s benefit,<strong> “we’re preparing our transporters and medical bay now. We’ll have you beamed up in just a moment.”</strong><br><br>Weirdly, Sonvek did not answer her directly. Instead, he said: <strong>“To the base’s magnetic south, Captain.”</strong><br><br>Then he rose to his feet – whether to prepare for transport, or to better manage the pain he seemed to be enduring, it was impossible for Chandra to say – his face leaving the viewing area of the screen. Chandra bit her lip; once again the possibilities – that she may be bringing a pathogen or a deranged murderer, or even something worse – bubbled up in her mind. What if she was dooming her ship?<br><br>But the die was cast. When Chief Adams signaled that the transporter room was ready, the Captain responded decisively with a single word:<br><br><strong>“Energize.”</strong>
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				Title: <strong>Re: ST: Flight of the Vanguard (Ep. 1 "Death's Other Kingdom" Game Thread - closed)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cyrano Johnson</strong> on <strong>30-10-2013, 07:59:28</strong>
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				<div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;" class="bbc_size">ACT 1, SCENE 1: SICKBAY</span></strong></div><br><strong>Captain’s Log, Stardate 310.7<br><br>The <em>Vanguard</em> has arrived at Segea IV in response to a distress call sent from the Palmyra research station by Dr. Sonvek, a leading Vulcan archaeologist. On arrival, we discovered that all of the station’s 64-person crew have mysteriously vanished... except for Dr. Sonvek, who is in a state of extreme psychological distress. Despite the risks, we have beamed him aboard the <em>Vanguard</em> for treatment, and, hopefully, for answers.</strong><br><div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/d/d6/Su_sickbay_big.jpg)</div><br>Dr. Marah Tren had never seen her sickbay from within a hostile environment suit—her restricted field of vision made the place feel smaller, even a little alien. She was peering out at Captain Chandra, Yeoman Burke, and Nurse Woodward, all of whom were protected by identical outfits. Woodward was running a quick diagnostic on one of the bio-beds—even though doing so was not strictly necessary, she had guessed that Marah would want it done and gotten to it without being asked.<br><br>The Andorian was pleased with her head nurse—the woman was efficient, knowledgeable, and good with the patients. And while there had yet to be a true medical emergency so far on the voyage, Marah was confident that the Human’s exemplary record was well-earned. She was very remarkable... <em>Now’s not the time.</em> Marah’s physical attraction to the other woman was just an inconvenience, really. The last thing she wanted was to make her feelings known—her position of authority would make any advances seem inappropriate at best and coercive at worst.<br><br>Returning her focus to the business at hand, Marah quietly walked her captain aside to speak with her privately. Not that she had anything against Burke—given the possibility that the Vulcan might turn violent, his obvious physical strength was welcome. But regardless of the unusual circumstances, Dr. Sonvek was her patient and his right to privacy put any talk about him on a need-to-know basis.<br><br><strong>“Captain, you asked earlier for a preliminary assessment of Dr. Sonvek’s mental state. Unfortunately, there’s not much I can tell you based on what we saw on the bridge. He shows obvious signs of nervous exhaustion, which is associated with hallucinations and physical pain. That said, it seems clear that there’s something more than sleep deprivation causing his symptoms.”</strong><br><br>The door slid open, and Marah’s latest patient was practically pulled into the room by two members of the security team. They were followed by Chief Parata, the head of ship’s enlisted crew and especially of security. The Vulcan seemed disoriented, and spoke in a mix of his native language and English.&nbsp; <br><br><strong>“Quunalsshia ko bosleana...&nbsp; What are all these people doing here?”</strong> He looked around, and his motions were clearly aimed at a larger area than the sickbay. He focused on one of the medical sensor readouts on the wall and shouted. <strong>“Melak! The physicist! A juggler of baubles smaller than dust grains!”</strong><br><br>He strained in the grip of the security men, calling out to an invisible onlooker. <strong>“You there, do you not know me? I am Sonvek! I am the winner of the... the... No, listen! Do not turn away!”</strong> He struggled to turn. <strong>“Father! Mother! I am here! Is my presence not satisfactory to you? I too have been awarded... NO!&nbsp; Come back!”</strong> He fought against his “captors” before crying out once more. <strong>“I <em>am</em> worthy to be at this presentation! I am Sonvek! Sonvek, winner of the Zee Magnees Prize! What do you mean, not a relevant one?”</strong> He collapsed on the floor, dispirited. An Andorian would have been sobbing, but only a single tear fell down his cheek, tracking through the dust on his skin.<br><br>Chief Parata grunted sadly, gesturing to his two security men to take the Vulcan by the arms again. <strong>“He's been getting worse and worse the whole way up here,”</strong> he said. <strong>“Poor bugger doesn't look ‘logical’ to me. Come on now, up you get...”</strong> He leaned in to help his men pick the scientist up and move him toward the bed Nurse Woodward indicated.<br><br>The captain finally had the chance to speak after the interruption. <strong>“Good assessment,”</strong> she said, wryly deadpan.<br><br>Tren gave Chandra a sidelong glance before approaching Parata. <strong>“Thank you, Chief. Once he’s properly secured, you can wait outside.”</strong> The room was becoming too crowded, and that could only serve to agitate Sonvek further.<br><br>Despite this, the Vulcan had a brief moment of lucidity. <strong>“A starship? I am on a starship? A human female captain—Chandra?”</strong> But before anyone could answer, he began losing his grip on reality once more: <strong>“No, none of this is real. More visions...”</strong> Sonvek struggled against the security guards, shoving one aside briefly due to his Vulcan strength and desperation. <strong>“No, I shall <em>not</em> submit to your falsehoods! <em>None of this is real!”</em></strong> Finally, he was placed upon the bed and strapped down.<br><br>The doctor considered her patient as he was restrained. Outwardly she was calm, but it was agony to watch him. For any intelligent being, the thought of being reduced to such a state was a nightmare—but the Vulcan obsession with mental discipline could only make losing one’s mind that much more terrifying. Of course, Marah would do everything in her power to see this man recover his sanity.<br><br>Once the bio-bed began taking readings, Marah considered each of the indicators on the panel over the bed. Every bit of data she accumulated brought her that much closer to a diagnosis. But for the moment, the readings merely indicated that the Vulcan suffered from the effects of nervous exhaustion and malnutrition that she'd already guessed at. <strong>“Nurse, draw the usual blood and tissue samples and begin testing in the lab for pathogens and any other abnormalities. I’ll join you soon.”</strong><br><br><strong>“Right away, doctor.”</strong> Woodward was already moving as Parata and his men retired out to the corridor. Yeoman Burke stood guard near the door.<br><br>The Andorian now looked to her patient and addressed him in a soothing tone. <strong>“Dr. Sonvek, can you hear me? I’m Dr. Marah Tren of the U.S.S. <em>Vanguard.</em> You’re inside our sickbay, and we’re going to help you. Captain Chandra is here—you spoke to her before.”</strong> Marah motioned for the captain to come closer so that Sonvek could see her and hopefully recognize her from earlier.<br><div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/2/2d/Mccoys_space_suit.jpg)</div><br>Chandra approached, pulling down her suit’s head covering so that her face would be more clearly visible to him and offering a slight wave. Marah knew that the Captain would have been well within her rights to be asking the questions herself—the young CMO greatly appreciated the trust Chandra showed in letting her take the lead here.<br><br><strong>“You were one of a team of archaeologists studying Segea IV, Dr. Sonvek,”</strong> Marah continued. <strong>“You sent a distress call, it said you needed help evaluating unusual occurrences and a possible life-form. Can you remember why you sent that message?”</strong><br><br>He stared at her blankly at first, but then a hint of recognition appeared and his expression softened. <strong>“Emoira, you are here!”</strong><br><br><em>Emoira. Now there's a good solid Andorian name,</em> she thought. He was obviously still perceiving her in some fashion, but she would have to try something more to get through to him. She looked to her Head Nurse. <strong>“Miss Woodward, before you bring those samples to the lab I'll need you to prep a hypo with a low dose of corbamine.”</strong> Given how little information the Vulcans were willing to share about their physiology, there was admittedly some risk involved here—but there was also the possibility that Sonvek was suffering neurological damage that the antipsychotic drug could arrest. And she badly needed some patient history right about now.<br><br>The nurse nodded and soon exited to the adjacent room in sickbay. While she waited for the hypo, Marah decided to take the opportunity opened by her patient’s mistaken recognition: <strong>“Sonvek, please tell me what happened to Palmyra Station.”</strong><br><br>The sickbay door opened as Marah was speaking. <strong>“Be careful, Doctor,”</strong> said a smooth contralto voice from the doorway. <strong>“I could feel your patient’s anguish from halfway across the ship. I’m not sure he’ll wish to be reminded of unpleasant subjects.”</strong> Marah stayed focused on Sonvek as the Deltan CSO entered -- somehow managing with grace of her movements to make even the shapeless bag of a hazmat suit looky slinky -- and responded only by holding up a hand to Commander Yuuna to forestall any additional interruption. Tren was painfully aware that this could be difficult for her patient, but the information was potentially critical.<br><br>Yuuna nodded a general acknowledgment to the officers in the room and continued under her breath: <strong>“Reporting for duty, Captain. Sorry I'm late... I came as quickly as I could.”</strong><br><br><strong>“No problem, Commander,”</strong> Chandra answered just as quietly. <strong>“The doctor is just starting to work her voodoo on the patient for us.”</strong><br><br>As the two women had their near silent exchange, Dr. Sonvek answered Marah. <strong>“Emoira, it is not like Lisshaur. Lisshaur was clear, even from the beginning, though we did not understand everything then. Remember? But here... This place is... an enigma. A threat. Always the sense of something dark...”</strong> He reached up with two fingers and touched her hand softly. <strong>“But it is satisfactory to see you...”</strong><br><br>Tren had a minute before the hypo was prepared. Cyclng mentally through possibilities, she gave Sonvek a comforting pat on the arm with her gloved hand, walked over to the nearby table and activated the comm. <strong>“Tie in to library computer,”</strong> she ordered the system. <strong>“Access the most recent personnel manifest for Palmyra Station, Segea IV. How many Vulcans are listed?”</strong><br><br>The computer’s pleasant tenor responded. <strong>“One listing found. Sonvek of Vulcan.”</strong><br><br>Yuuna looked curiously from Sonvek to Marah and spoke quietly. <strong>“He mentioned Lisshaur... that’s the expedition that won him the Zee Magnees Prize. Computer,"</strong> she added a little louder: <strong>"Query personnel listings for the Lisshaur Expedition. Non-Human researchers only.”</strong><br><br>The computer worked briefly and responded. <strong>“Three listings found. Dr. Ul-Uul-Kssan-Hyanat of Coridan. Dr. Emoira Vlenek of Andor. Sonvek of Vulcan.”</strong><br><br>Marah took in the information solemnly before addressing the others. <strong>“It seems many of the things he’s saying do have real world significance,"</strong> she mused. <strong>"Maybe there is something important ‘to the base’s magnetic south.’ And given that our sole survivor is also the sole Vulcan, it makes me wonder if his unusual physiology or mental discipline played a role in his survival.”</strong><br><br>The doctor saw Woodward returning with the prepared hypo as Chandra said: <strong>“Delirium does not make people disappear, Doctor. There is something more at play here than just a psychological or physiological effect.”</strong><br><br>The Andorian nodded agreement as she returned to her patient’s bed. <strong>“Thank you,”</strong> she said to Woodward, taking the hypo and administering it. After giving the drug a short time to take effect, she said: <strong>“Dr. Sonvek, I’ve given you an antipyschotic to help with your hallucinations, but I don’t know how long the effect may last. I need you tell me what happened to your colleagues at Palmyra Station.”</strong><br><br>Sonvek replied, the drug relaxing him:L <strong>“Emoira, you'll find that nothing is as it seems here. That’s what they found. Not at first. But...”</strong>&nbsp; His eyes slid shut and he continued softly. <strong>“Nothing is real.”</strong> He fell into a much needed sleep as Nurse Woodward exited sickbay, taking the samples to the lab.<br><br>Marah was disappointed that the medication did not have the full effect she had hoped for. She would have to wait for the lab results—or answers from surface—to have any hope of helping Dr. Sonvek. <br><br><strong>“‘The sense of something dark,’”</strong> Yuuna said, pensively echoing one of Sonvek's disjointed phrases. Then, sounding troubled, she continued: <strong>“Captain, request permission to take an away team to the surface. I... I <em>feel</em> there is something to Sonvek’s theory about a lifeform down there. I’d like to have the Doctor of course, Mister Cortez’ diplomatic experience if you can spare him... and Chief Adams to help restore full power at the station so I can access their data.”</strong><br><br>Captain Chandra, clearly surprised by the request, looked at Yuuna in disbelief. <strong>“An away mission, based on what Sonvek said in his emergency message? Commander, how do you know he wasn’t already delirious when he sent it?”</strong><br><br><strong>“It can be difficult to explain ESPer intuition, Ma’am.”</strong> Yuuna hesitated a moment. <strong>“Before I woke in my quarters a few minutes ago, I had... something other than a dream. You get to learn the difference. It was a vision of something dark, vast... something cold. Looking at me with... with a kind of <em>curiosity.</em>”</strong> She seemed troubled and reluctant, but pressed on. <strong>“I think perhaps that I understand Sonvek’s emergency message. This was no dream, Ma’am. It was psychic contact, and psychic ability is a product of <em>living</em> minds. I don't know about the station’s personnel, but something must be alive down there, and it’s active. It’s <em>reaching out.</em> Sonvek’s symptoms are unlikely to be a coincidence.”</strong><br><br>The Captain thought for a moment, then nodded. <strong>“I would have preferred to get more intelligence from Dr. Sonvek before trying anything as risky as beaming down. But until we confirm what happened to the rest of the expedition, we have to assume they’re alive, and probably in need of help... we don’t have the luxury of time. Those computer banks down at the station may have the information we need.<br><br>“But I’m not beaming a team into a potential quarantine situation. Let’s make ruling out a pathogen our priority. We’ll check our guest here, and the quarantine filters, to see if anything was brought aboard. Once I’m convinced the ship is safe, and that there’s little chance of there being an infectious agent at Palmyra... we can take the next step.”</strong><br><br><strong>“Everyone who beams down needs to be prepared for the worst,”</strong> Marah added regretfully. <strong>“I know Dr. Sonvek claims everyone else at the base was ‘taken,’ but all we know for certain is that we detected no life signs. We may find nothing down there but corpses—and something that killed more than sixty people.”</strong>
			</dd>
		</dl>
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