Rescue, Part III
Posted on Wed May 18th, 2022 @ 1:44am by Lieutenant Commander Troy Marshall & Captain Fergus Williams & Lieutenant Johnathan Anderson III & Lieutenant JG Melissa Jones & Callie Marshall & Lieutenant JG Kassandra Selin
Edited on on Wed May 18th, 2022 @ 1:44am
Mission:
S1 Episode 2: Caretaker, Part II
Location: Ocampa Homeworld
Timeline: Mission Day 7 at 0100
3620 words - 7.2 OF Standard Post Measure
Medical room - Research lab
The medical room was well lit, and the team could clearly see into the room. The form on the medical bed was still breathing, and monitors beeped and purred as they kept the person alive. Three Ocampa doctors were moving around the form, who’s torso was now cut open as they pointed and discussed the different organs, they could see in the chest cavity. The clue that it was their missing officer was the fact that the form was human female and the long brown hair that flowed from the head, covered in a breathing mask.
They poked and prodded in her insides without thought of what might be coming. Organs were lifted but not severed, measured, bloods and fluids drawn and a computer off to the side showed her genetic genome.
"I'm not sure we're going to be able to use any of this digestive material now that we're looking around." one of the men said, a mask over his face to keep germs out of her open torso. "But we might have some luck with the reproductive organs. Hand me the scalpel."
"Are her Reproductive organs different from the other female? Aside from the fact that one carries a child that is?" Another peered as the scalpel was handed over. "Would their genetics be a match for ours?"
"They are different species, for sure. Though, the usefulness I cannot comment on for sure. One never knows what they'll find." the Doctor said in a monotone. "And this one has been nothing but trouble. There is no point in working too hard to keep her intact."
"Hmm maybe her troublesome side could be put to use .. her genetic code might hold clues to help us control such inelegant races like the Kazon." The Ocampa mused.
Medical room - building 2
Callie awoke to find herself alone, the monitor by her bed was turned her way showing the monitored image of her son. For the moment it made her smile watching the figure but it dawned that her son looked a lot larger than last she’d seen him and so did her bump, and before she remembered what the doctor had said about not being able to guarantee hers, or her son’s safety.
Beyond the light that shone around her bed Callie could just about make out what looked like operating equipment and an incubator, the thought of what might be planned for her made her strain against her bonds. No one was getting their hands on her son, if they tried she’d tear their minds to shreds!!
The door parted and in walked the male doctor from before, a curious expression on his face.
"You're awake, and comfortable I hope?"
Callie nodded. “I’m comfortable, but you’ve accelerated my son’s growth again! She was hoping some civility might get her some answers. “What do you really want with us? You realize my people will be coming for us, and where is my companion?”
"We did, and I'm sorry about that." the man said, walking up to her and placing a hand on her stomach gently. Since she was restrained, there was nothing she could do about it even if it had been aggressive. "You must believe me, I've been an advocate for your release through and through, but the powers that be want results. My hands are tied."
Callie sighed as she moved to try and get comfortable, she was starting to feel more and more uncomfortable as time passed by. It was only when she started getting stomach pains that she realized something more was going on. “What have you done!??”
"My boss wants us to observe birth in your species." he said simply. "Just relax. Panicking won't make this any easier."
“Birth!! NO... you can’t! It’s too soon!!” Callie struggled against her bonds before putting her effort into what she did best, entering the doctor’s mind. << You will do as I say! Release me!! >>
The man's eyes went wide. He didn't show the effected expression Callie had expected, but instead displayed a look of horror.
"You're species is telepathic...we had no idea." he said, his eyes then drifting to the image of the child on the screen. Quickly, on impulse, he moved over to the console and input a key. At once, her restraints opened up and he turned to her. "We have to get you out of here. If they find out you have mental abilities like that, they'll crack your head open to see how it works."
Callie slid down off the bed, it seemed she’d found a surprising ally. “I have to get back to my ship!” It was then her senses picked up on familiar sensations just as the alarms sounded. “Looks like I’m no longer alone.” She kept moving even though her body was telling her to stop, she had no idea how long she had before she’d go into full on labour.
As the team continued deeper into the complex, using the map that Melissa had found in the computers, they reached one of the examination rooms.
Looking through the window that was next to the door, Johnathan's eyes went wide. On the table, though her body was opened up and her organs exposed, was the woman who held his heart and soul. "Bastards!!" He screamed, then turned and shot the door controls, vaporizing them and causing the door to open. He burst in and leveled his rifle at the closest alien, one that was currently holding a scalpel over Kassandra's open chest. "Move and I will kill you where you stand!"
One of the Ocampa from the otherside of the bio bed came around slowly, his hands up. "You have infiltrated the sterile Surgical field. You have corrupted it, you were not properly cleaned!" He squarked. "You have infected the experiment!"
Melissa followed John in and stared at Kass.... she scanned her. "Dana, she's still alive. Help her now!!!" The Cybernetic woman turned back to the scientists. "Do you want to know something. I have experience with being experimented upon. First my parents, made me in a lab. Then other scientists tried to restore my parents work after I destroyed their research. They failed....
The cybernetic woman examined one of the scientific aides. She then grabbed one of them by the neck and slammed him against the nearest wall. As she moved, she picked up what appeared to be a laser scalpel and went right to work. They hurt her friend. She now had an opportunity to make them watch as she slowly performed an autopsy on one of them.
No Anesthesia.
"Ahhhhh!" one of the other doctors screamed, dropping the instrument in their hand. She prepared to make for the door, but paused when the mussel of a phaser rifle was pointed toward her.
As there were only three doctors in the room. One held at phaser rifle point, another being cut to shreds by the crazy alien, the one who had told them that they had broken the sterile field turned towards the monitors which were starting to beep like crazy. "Well, I knew your race was brutish like the Kazon when this one killed one of ours but to kill your own.." He stripped off his gloves. "She is dying and you are at fault." He said to the man holding the weapon.
Dana rushed to Kass’ side, as much as she was a field medic she wasn’t a qualified surgeon. “He’s right! Breaking the sterile field has flooded her body.” She quickly grabbed a set of hypo’s from her kit. “I’ll give her what I can for now, it’ll stop any further infection from taking hold, but I need to get her back to the ship.” She gave Kass what she could before starting on her open torso. “I’ll do what I can, but I’m no surgeon.”
Johnathan wanted to blast these aliens to atoms for what they had done. But his overwhelming desire to keep Kassandra safe wone out. "Do what you can! Both of you, help Dana save her," his voice cracked slightly. "Save the woman I love!"
The Ocampa who had told Johnathan that Kass was dying crossed his arms. "I will not help. She killed one of us, she deserves to die."
Dana looked up grabbing another hypo out of her kit. “You see this? Either you help me save her or I use this on you! The effects won’t be pretty!!”
The woman doctor's face didn't match the intransigence of her partners. She wanted to live; she had a family.
"I'll help you if you let us go." she said quickly, her eyes wide. "There's a way for us to get rid of possible infection, but it must be done quickly."
"If she lives," Johnathan spoke through clenched teeth, "You have my word that you both will walk out of this room alive." He let that sit for a beat. "Now save her."
Outside a medical technician came around the corner looking at his PADD when he glanced up to see a group of intruders huddled one of labs. He stopped dead in his tracks not sure his mind was playing tricks with him but noticed the Kazon.
Not saying a word the Ocampa technician casually reached over to the wall next to him and pressed a large button in a red box. Alarms sounded throughout the entire facility red lights flashing red across the bleached white hallways. Dropping the PADD he ran away back around the corner yelling as he disappeared.
Inside the operating room, the alarm klaxons were near deafening. It took Johnathan a few beats to locate the speaker in the room, which was off in the far corner. Raising his rifle. He sent a single blast into it, permanently silencing the speaker. He dropped the rifle muzzle back down to the Ocampa that refused to help save Kassandra. "Save her, or die now! Your choice asshole!"
The secondary doctor huffed and moved to assist the alien and his colleague. Meanwhile the medical machines were still sounding. "Fine but it is unlikely she will survive. We had no reason to keep her alive." he gave the man a disdainful look "And if your friend there would mind stopping what they are doing? Blood contamination will be worse."
Without taking his eyes off of the Ocampan, Johnathan spoke aloud. "Mel, hold off on your fun time! Kassandra's life depends on it!"
"Very well. a short delay." Melissa watched the door.
The Ocampian doctor helped the other Ocampa and the human medical officer stabilize the woman on the bio bed. "It will take hours to completely fix her. But this will do for you to get her out of her and to move her." he said They had sealed her chest and she was still unconscious. "She will be in pain when she wakes."
Dana nodded. “I can take care of that.”
The klaxons still rang through out the rest of the complex which helped cover the footsteps of armed white clad armored Ocampans come around the corner near a set of stairs. Seeing the intruders the lead Ocampan pointed at them. "Intruders, blast them!" Before opening fire killing one of the Kazon in the process.
Johnathan cursed aloud. "Mel, keep and eye on these, doctors!" He then backed up to the door, pulling a grenade free from his vest. "Fire in the hole!!" He then pulled the pin and blindly hurled the explosive down the corridor, using the far wall as a ricochet point to bounce it further away before it detonated.
The Ocampans had little time to react from the grenade before it exploded sending half of them flying in the air and winding up dead upon landing. The remaining ones slowly fell back but returned fire as they took cover. One of them opened up his communicator. " We need reinforcements and get the heavies here now!!"
As Johnathan had tossed the grenade Dana had no choice but to shield Kass as best as she could.
Outside more armored Ocampans arrived followed by the sounds of heavy armored footsteps three heavy gray clad armored Ocampans lumbered around the corner armed with small gatling guns and energy riot shields. Forming a firing line on top of stairs the other Ocampans formed behind them. They opened fire spraying the hallway with heavy fire clearly pinning everyone inside.
Johnathan knew there was no way they were heading back out the way they had come. He made a split second decision. "Set up the pattern enhancers around that operating table!" He quickly moved forward, setting up and activating the one he was carrying. He didn't tell the Ocampans that they were about to go for a trip. Once his was set, he moved back to the doorway, throwing another grenade, this time a stun/agonizer. "Agonizer in the hole!" He shouted over the weapons fire, to let his team know which ordinance was being used. Once the grenade left his hand, he spun back into the room, slamming his eyes shut and covering his ears, in preparation for the assaulting flash and deafening bang, which would be amplified by the enclosed space of the corridor.
Unfortunately one of the heavy troopers saw the grenade and batted it away like a ping pong ball away with his shield from the group before it detonated. One of lighter troopers signaled to the others with his hand as they slowly advanced forward.
Margol watched as the Terran officers placed their strange technology around the bed as instructed. In a haze of blue, the woman disappeared. He looked with curious intensity at those devices, but then turned his attention to the firefight happening in the hallway.
"We must escape this room or they will trap us here." he said, turning to his last remaining man. "Jaifa, prepare to lay down suppressive fire. These Ocampan animals die here."
Turning then to the Terrans, he looked at them, wide-eyed.
"They haven't had line of sight on us, so they likely have no idea how many of us there are. We will distract them and give you the element of surprise." he said, and with a gesture he and his fellow Kazon barreled out into the hallway, taking up defensive positions behind well-placed support columns.
The Ocampa Troops continued to advance using the heavies as cover moving forward intent to stop the aliens from stopping the task the caretaker gave them.
It had taken Callie longer than she wanted to find her way out, it seemed the triggering of the alarms had made the medical staff head for cover leaving her route free. She paused as more contractions came and went, she’d sensed familiar presences she just needed to find them.
Down a turn in the hallway, the sound of explosions, phaser fire, and shouting rang through the air. It didn't sound safe, but there could be no doubt that was where she needed to be.
Callie followed the sounds of the fighting, that’s where she was sensing familiar presences from. Sensing approaching danger she hid as she saw warriors she didn’t recognise fighting the Ocampa.
Though they fired back down the hall occasionally, the Kazon focused their attention on retreating the opposite direction down the hallway, prompting the Ocampa troops to follow them. In doing so, the Ocampa troops passed the room where the away team was still hiding. Their backs were to their enemies and they didn't even know it.
With a yell that could wake the dead of terra dark crypts from these dark places, Fergus yelled as he charged from the spot with his devil dogs. Phaser rifle in one hand and his blade in the other he tore into the unexpected Ocampa severing flesh and synthetic armour as he drove into them like a worlwind.
Their training kicking in, the two marines followed their CO into battle, pointing their pulse phaser rifles at the backs of the Ocampa and letting rip a torrent of blasts.
Melissa prepared her repeater and turned it on a penetration setting. Tracking the incoming ocampa on the other side of the wall, She unleashed a hail on the wall that penetrated and began shredding the Ocampan reinforcements through the wall. They didn't see it coming.
The devil dogs tore into the Ocampa until with a few screams and yelps they broke and began to run. Blasting one in the back Fegus grabbed his belt and rifle. " Get as many of their weapons as you can." He yelled to his marines.
When every Ocampa troop was laying dead on the ground between the two groups, their members huffed and puffed as their adrenaline surged.
"We should find your remaining crew member and then you should get out of here." Margol said, looking at the group of them in their armored suits.
Callie stepped out of the shadows. “They don’t need to...” She paused another contraction forcing her to rest for a moment.
Dana, who had remained with the away team knowing Kassandra would be met by medical staff aboard ship, stepped up shocked to see what condition Callie was in. “What in the hell..!?” She quickly pulled out her tricorder.
Troy looked at Callie and noticed her condition. He was floored emotionally for a heartbeat before his training reassert. He glanced at Dana and nodded. "Do what you can for her and our baby."
Callie smiled as she took hold of Troy’s hand, before looking at Dana worriedly. “They induced me! You have to stop it!!”
Dana nodded. “I don’t have the necessary drugs with me to stop it, but I can give you something to slow it down. It should work until we get you back onboard. Give me a minute.”
Looking towards Troy, Callie offered another smile. “I thought I’d never see you again.”
Melissa spoke to Callie.. "Can you point out which of these Ocampa scientists... induced you?" She noted.
Callie shook her head. “They kept me sedated most of the time.”
Dana pulled out a hypo in hand gently pressing it to Callie’s neck. “That should work for now, for anything else we need to get you back to the ship.” She looked towards Troy. “We have to get her out of here, Now.”
Troy looked at Melissa. "Get the transporter Enhancers up and running ASAP." Turning to everyone else he switched off the safety on his phaser rifle. "We hold are ground and kill as many of these Ocampa bastards who show up. No prisoners and no mercy!"
Flames bursted out of nowhere from the hallway as red armored Ocampans lumbered over their dead carrying flamethrowers. But they weren't alone more heavy and light armored Ocampans took up defensive positions. While on the other side of the hallway more Ocampans took up positions but small robot heavy walkers armed with repeaters and micro rocket launchers joined in.
Back in the operating room, Johnathan had the enhancers set back up and activated. "Vengeance, stand by to beam up remaining friendlies!"
Melissa also assisted with the transport enhancers. As she was doing so, she provided as much support as she could with her repeater, finally the enhancers were set up. She began to back with Johnathan into the enhancers as she unleashed a hail of firepower. But then she noticed her ammo count was getting low. 258.... 213.... 197....
Melissa tapped her combadge. "Vengeance, some time today will suffice.
Flames blasted at Melissa as the Ocampans started to move in slowly intending to burn them out or blast them. Either way they was done playing nice now.
In the midst of the chaos, Margol and the other remaining Kazon stood and retreated down the hallway in the shadow of a pillar, avoiding the sight of all, including the Terrans with whom they had come, until they rounded a corner and were gone.
"I have a lock on you, away team." came the voice of one of the on-duty transporter technicians. "You'll be beamed out in two rounds. In the first, I will beam Lieutenants Marshall and Vali directly to sickbay. In the second, I will beam the remainder of the team back to the surface near the SS Deathwing."
"Then do it now!" Johnathan barked as he popped his head and rifle around the corner long enough to shoot one of the Ocampans in the head, vaporizing them. He then jumped back as a blast if flame was sent towards his location. He managed to avoid most of the ignited plasma, but, some splashed up onto his right leg, scorching his pants and burning him slightly before he was able to put himself out.
In a haze of sparkling blue, Callie and Troy disappeared, leaving the rest of the team to engage against the flamethrowing Ocampa. The hallway was climbing in temperature and sweat was starting to bead and slide on everyone's skin.
Melissa fought back against the burns she got from the Ocampa flame throwers. She materialized onto the Vengeance with a partially burned uniform and several other burns on her skin from the flamethrowers. "Flamethrowers..." She was charred but not roasted.
As Johnathan started to feel the familiar tingle of the transporter, he let loose with the rest of his grenades, hopeful at least one more Ocampan as killed.
Not one second too soon, the rest of the team was engulfed in the light of the transporter beam and their bodies, once solid, faded away in a torrent of fire.
END
