Mission 1 - Reductio ad Absurdum

[Sickbay]

It had not been a good day for Ensign Ogrim.

The Ithenite had woken up this morning with a headache, which was annoying.  Things really got weird for him, though, when he tried to get to sickbay, and had been confronted by two Ferengi.  Now, they were an odd enough site - rare in Starfleet, but not nearly as rare as his own species.  There was one station to the starbase, and, as far as he knew, the other came from the Phoenix.

But, still...that wasn't the strange part.  No...that came when the Ferengi had started to give chase to him, spouting off nonsense about how his skin was gold.  Not goldcolored, but...gold!  He'd tried to explain how worthless gold was, but the pair had said that people would pay out the nose for the novelty of gold skin, maybe to make boots out of, or a belt, or...or...

And so, Ogrim had spent the majority of the day ducking around the station, avoiding Ferengi as if his life depended on it...which it very well could!

"Alright!" the Ithenite yelled, as he barged into Sickbay.  "Give me all the sedative hypos you got!"  In his hands, he carried a lirpa, quite a bit too large for him to wield, but making an effective battering ram.  Ogrim hoped that no damage would come to it, however...it was from his own personal antique weaponry collection.

NPC wrote:

[Sickbay]
"Alright!" the Ithenite yelled, as he barged into Sickbay.  "Give me all the sedative hypos you got!"  In his hands, he carried a lirpa, quite a bit too large for him to wield, but making an effective battering ram.  Ogrim hoped that no damage would come to it, however...it was from his own personal antique weaponry collection.

[Sickbay]

Ilana looked up from where Raynor was putting the finishing touches to the repair work done on the station's chief of security, only a little bewildered to see another young officer come barreling into sickbay with an old Vulcan weapon in his hand and demanding sedatives.

With the scales over one eye shifting upwards slightly, creating an effect much like a human raising an eyebrow, she stepped over to him shook her head before pointing to him and then to an empty biobed.

This would be far easier if I could talk, she thought to herself.

NPC wrote:

NPC
Ensign Ogrim

[Sickbay]

It had not been a good day for Ensign Ogrim.

The Ithenite had woken up this morning with a headache, which was annoying.  Things really got weird for him, though, when he tried to get to sickbay, and had been confronted by two Ferengi.  Now, they were an odd enough site - rare in Starfleet, but not nearly as rare as his own species.  There was one station to the starbase, and, as far as he knew, the other came from the Phoenix.

But, still...that wasn't the strange part.  No...that came when the Ferengi had started to give chase to him, spouting off nonsense about how his skin was gold.  Not goldcolored, but...gold!  He'd tried to explain how worthless gold was, but the pair had said that people would pay out the nose for the novelty of gold skin, maybe to make boots out of, or a belt, or...or...

And so, Ogrim had spent the majority of the day ducking around the station, avoiding Ferengi as if his life depended on it...which it very well could!

"Alright!" the Ithenite yelled, as he barged into Sickbay.  "Give me all the sedative hypos you got!"  In his hands, he carried a lirpa, quite a bit too large for him to wield, but making an effective battering ram.  Ogrim hoped that no damage would come to it, however...it was from his own personal antique weaponry collection.

John saw the man burst into Sickbay and start shouting he did not waste time he pushed the admirals out of the way and drew his phaser and took aim and fired. He knocked the boy to the ground and rushed him to remove the weapon from reach. "What is going on Ensign?"

Ilana Telak wrote:

Ilana looked up from where Raynor was putting the finishing touches to the repair work done on the station's chief of security, only a little bewildered to see another young officer come barreling into sickbay with an old Vulcan weapon in his hand and demanding sedatives.

With the scales over one eye shifting upwards slightly, creating an effect much like a human raising an eyebrow, she stepped over to him shook her head before pointing to him and then to an empty biobed.

This would be far easier if I could talk, she thought to herself.

[Sickbay]

The Cardassian in front of him brought Ogrim up, almost tripping over himself (and the long weapon he carried).  He glanced to the doctor, to the bed, and back to the doctor.  He wasn't quite sure why she was giving him the silent treatment, but...he'll be damned if anyone was going to intimidate him!

"Ohhh, no.  Nonono," the golden man said, shaking his head and sticking out his lower lip.  He hefted the lirpa.  "I'm not getting on any bed so you can put me under!  The Great Bird alone knows, you might be working for the Ferengi!  You're not taking my skin!  I need those hypos.  I'll show them who is boss!"

John Harriman wrote:

John saw the man burst into Sickbay and start shouting he did not waste time he pushed the admirals out of the way and drew his phaser and took aim and fired. He knocked the boy to the ground and rushed him to remove the weapon from reach. "What is going on Ensign?"

Suddenly, Ogrim's attention was drawn by shouting, and then an intense numbness took over his senses as a burst of stun fire hit him, sending the lirpa skittering across the deckplates.  "D-don't s-s-cratch it..." he murmured, blanking out.

[Sickbay]

There was what seemed to be a veritable sea of people in sickbay, or at least that's what Rachel was able to deduce from feeling the ebb and flow of people. Many of them jostled her as they passed. Not intentionally, but because she couldn't see them, or hear them over the din of medics and patients.

John Harriman wrote:

John saw the man burst into Sickbay and start shouting he did not waste time he pushed the admirals out of the way and drew his phaser and took aim and fired. He knocked the boy to the ground and rushed him to remove the weapon from reach. "What is going on Ensign?"

As she was pushed out of the way, Rachel yelped, her unseeing eyes wide as, already unbalanced by the crewmembers going in and out of the medical area, she crashed to the deck. Shakily pushing herself back onto her feet, she clenched her hands into fists.

"Stark?" she asked, hoping that her second in command was still close by.

Ilana Telak wrote:

Ilana looked up from where Raynor was putting the finishing touches to the repair work done on the station's chief of security, only a little bewildered to see another young officer come barreling into sickbay with an old Vulcan weapon in his hand and demanding sedatives.

With the scales over one eye shifting upwards slightly, creating an effect much like a human raising an eyebrow, she stepped over to him shook her head before pointing to him and then to an empty biobed.

This would be far easier if I could talk, she thought to herself.

[Sickbay]

Finishing up a final scan of Shora, Raynor glanced up as the bay doors had opened, admitting a golden-skinned Ithenite. The little man held a lirpa, charging with it like a knight of Ancient Earth. The Klingon shook his head, going back to his work. His attention shifted back to the man, however, as he approached Ilana. Raynor set the tricorder down, ready to shove that Vulcan weapon where the stars didn't shine, making a golden kebab out of him.

The situation, however, was quickly neutralized by the security officers in Sickbay. Raynor shrugged, keying a final injection for Shora. The Andorian would be fine, with rest. Knowing Shora, though, it'd be hard to keep the blue woman down.

He moved over closer to the commotion, stepping around the prone body of the Ithenite. Raynor gently placed a hand on Ilana's shoulder, flashing her a quick smile.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced, crossing his arms. What a mess this day had turned into. "Something is very wrong on this station. None of us are acting right." A hot flush of something akin to embarrassment shot through his veins, coloring his already-ruddy cheeks, as he thought of Ilana. The time they'd spent together had been wonderful, but then what followed was a pure nightmare. And now his best friend couldn't speak.

"We must eliminate the variables, and determine what caused this. The only thing of which I am aware was the delivery of those Beta Quadrant pod plants. They opened up a barrage of a...spore-like...substance in the botany lab. After which...I have a lot of missing time."

NPC wrote:

[Sickbay]

The Cardassian in front of him brought Ogrim up, almost tripping over himself (and the long weapon he carried).  He glanced to the doctor, to the bed, and back to the doctor.  He wasn't quite sure why she was giving him the silent treatment, but...he'll be damned if anyone was going to intimidate him!

"Ohhh, no.  Nonono," the golden man said, shaking his head and sticking out his lower lip.  He hefted the lirpa.  "I'm not getting on any bed so you can put me under!  The Great Bird alone knows, you might be working for the Ferengi!  You're not taking my skin!  I need those hypos.  I'll show them who is boss!"



Suddenly, Ogrim's attention was drawn by shouting, and then an intense numbness took over his senses as a burst of stun fire hit him, sending the lirpa skittering across the deckplates.  "D-don't s-s-cratch it..." he murmured, blanking out.

[Sickbay]

The scales above her other eye joined the others in being raised as Ilana watched the situation between the security ensign who had brought the captain in, and the yellow-shirt who had barged in.  If she had had the words to say it, she would have told the ensign that firing on the man hadn't been necessary, but instead, she simply gave him a nod of acknowledgement.

With a heavy sigh, she picked up the weapon and took it to her office, storing it out of harm's (and temptation's) way before returning to her new patient.  Another medic had already moved the unconscious body to one of the biobeds, meaning that all she had left to do was start taking her scans.

Raynor Hughes wrote:

He moved over closer to the commotion, stepping around the prone body of the Ithenite. Raynor gently placed a hand on Ilana's shoulder, flashing her a quick smile.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced, crossing his arms. What a mess this day had turned into. "Something is very wrong on this station. None of us are acting right." A hot flush of something akin to embarrassment shot through his veins, coloring his already-ruddy cheeks, as he thought of Ilana. The time they'd spent together had been wonderful, but then what followed was a pure nightmare. And now his best friend couldn't speak.

"We must eliminate the variables, and determine what caused this. The only thing of which I am aware was the delivery of those Beta Quadrant pod plants. They opened up a barrage of a...spore-like...substance in the botany lab. After which...I have a lot of missing time."

Looking up as she felt a hand on her shoulder, Ilana smiled at the sight of Raynor Hughes. Despite everything that had happened, she was glad that he was there. At the mention of the pods, however, she frowned. Her memories of the beginning of that incident were clear, finding Raynor lying on the deck, the rambling quality of his speech.

She turned to him, tugging on his sleeve and nodding, trying to communicate that she believed that he was on the right track.

[Sickbay]

Chira blinked her eyes open, staring up at the bright lights of Sickbay's ceiling. She closed her eyes again, squinting against the glaring whiteness, blinking in rapid fashion. That didn't do much to help dispel the dizziness, however, so she just settled on keeping the eyes closed altogether for a little while longer.

She was soon able to open them again, and prop herself up by an elbow. Okay, she thought, I'm...on a biobed. In sickbay. With...everyone? It seemed like it. Raynor, Ilana, Arch, her brother, both the admirals, security...

"What...what in the hell have I missed?" she asked, vaguely remembering a lot of things happening in the Arboretum. She remembered...swimming? With Henriks? Glancing around, she saw her fiancee not too far away, smiling weakly at him. "Hullo, Apple," she said, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed to sit up. "What's going on? And...um. Why am I in pajamas?"

Raynor Hughes wrote:

[Sickbay]

"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced, crossing his arms.  What a mess this day had turned into.  "Something is very wrong on this station.  None of us are acting right."  A hot flush of something akin to embarrassment shot through his veins, coloring his already-ruddy cheeks, as he thought of Ilana.  The time they'd spent together had been wonderful, but then what followed was a pure nightmare.  And now his best friend couldn't speak.

"We must eliminate the variables, and determine what caused this.  The only thing of which I am aware was the delivery of those Beta Quadrant pod plants.  They opened up a barrage of a...spore-like...substance in the botany lab.  After which...I have a lot of missing time."

[Sickbay]

Henriks' head popped up as the Klingon spoke. He's right, Henriks thought, trying to quell the feeling of shame rising within him. He'd spoken and thought harshly of Lieutenant Zero, nor cared for his lady as he should, rightfully incurring the wrath of her brother. Once the squalling in sickbay had settled down, he would do his best to make proper amends.

But right now there was work to be done. "Mr. Hughes," he asked, "do you have samples of these spores?"

Chira Arthur wrote:

[Sickbay]

"What...what in the hell have I missed?" she asked, vaguely remembering a lot of things happening in the Arboretum. She remembered...swimming? With Henriks? Glancing around, she saw her fiancee not too far away, smiling weakly at him. "Hullo, Apple," she said, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed to sit up. "What's going on? And...um. Why am I in pajamas?"

The sweet sound of his lady's voice aroused his attention, and so he turned to stroke her hair affectionately. "No, my lady," he said quietly with a soft smile. "You haven't missed a thing. And you're in pajamas because, er, isn't that what people sleep in?" he asked with a small chuckle. He kissed her lightly on the forehead, which was warm to the touch. "I think you may be running a fever, sweet lady," he commented, reaching for a hypo.

Henriks Ābols wrote:

The sweet sound of his lady's voice aroused his attention, and so he turned to stroke her hair affectionately. "No, my lady," he said quietly with a soft smile. "You haven't missed a thing. And you're in pajamas because, er, isn't that what people sleep in?" he asked with a small chuckle. He kissed her lightly on the forehead, which was warm to the touch. "I think you may be running a fever, sweet lady," he commented, reaching for a hypo.

[Sickbay]

Shaking her head slightly, Chira gave Henriks an adoring smile, touching him on the cheek as he kissed her forehead. She remembered so much more, kisses that were far from chaste, swimming in the Arboretum, the feeling of his flesh on hers...it felt like a dream, and she would have believed it so, had the sensations not been so real."

"You don't have to shield me," she quietly said, looking up at him. "Though...you're sweet to try so. No...I remember everything." And she did. Even being huddled in a mass in the hallways, crying over the thought that Henriks still loved Jiseth. It had been a...weird...afternoon. "Though I don't remember the trip to Sickbay."

Standing, Chira stretched, and then gave her brother a quick hug. She could see Arch on one of the biobeds, a sight that made her wonder what had gone down with the two of them. She probably didn't want to know. There were, however, two precious little faces, their eyes filled with worry, peeking out of the CMO's office window. "I think I'd better check after the rugrats," she said, giving Henriks' hand a squeeze.

Rachel Deacon wrote:

As she was pushed out of the way, Rachel yelped, her unseeing eyes wide as, already unbalanced by the crewmembers going in and out of the medical area, she crashed to the deck.  Shakily pushing herself back onto her feet, she clenched her hands into fists.

"Stark?" she asked, hoping that her second in command was still close by.  

[Sickbay]

And, just like that, Corman was acutely reminded just why one never let their guard down.

He had been checking on Shora's condition when the commotion had broken out. The woman was, after all, the Second Officer of the station. And then the stout little Ithenite had come charging in, and then there was a weapons discharge (he'd definitely have to go over security protocol with all the DH's, later...but, then again, this had been one hell of a strange day), and then someone tossed Deacon about like it was a Parrises Squares game.

"I'm here," he said, using his long stride to be at her side in a few steps. Once Rachel found his hand, he allowed the admiral to pull herself to her feet.

Stark then crossed his arms, his sharp gaze taking in the entirety of Sickbay...which was starting to get crowded. "Alright, listen up! Hughes, it sounds like you're on to the point of origin for this...space madness, for lack of a better term. You, Telak, and Abols should go to the lab and get samples of these spores." He avoided looking at the Cardassian as he said her name. "Harriman, since you're so trigger-happy today, you can watch their backs. Take respirators with you, we don't need you breathing more of that crap in. Doc," he said, turning to Henriks, "are there respirators here in Sickbay you can use?"

Chira Arthur wrote:

[Sickbay]

Shaking her head slightly, Chira gave Henriks an adoring smile, touching him on the cheek as he kissed her forehead.  She remembered so much more, kisses that were far from chaste, swimming in the Arboretum, the feeling of his flesh on hers...it felt like a dream, and she would have believed it so, had the sensations not been so real."

"You don't have to shield me," she quietly said, looking up at him.  "Though...you're sweet to try so.  No...I remember everything."  And she did.  Even being huddled in a mass in the hallways, crying over the thought that Henriks still loved Jiseth.  It had been a...weird...afternoon.  "Though I don't remember the trip to Sickbay."  

Standing, Chira stretched, and then gave her brother a quick hug.  She could see Arch on one of the biobeds, a sight that made her wonder what had gone down with the two of them.  She probably didn't want to know.  There were, however, two precious little faces, their eyes filled with worry, peeking out of the CMO's office window.  "I think I'd better check after the rugrats," she said, giving Henriks' hand a squeeze.

[Sickbay]

Henriks remembered it all too, though there were parts he wished he could forget. "You were asleep when I brought you in," he explained, giving her something to bring down the body temp. The hypo hissed quietly as it involuntarily released its contents.

Chira had hopped off the, giving his hand a squeeze. It was gone before he could kiss it. He followed her gave to the window of the office, where two little ones could be seen poking their heads just above the windowsill. There wasn't much in there for children to play with, nor was there much that they could break. Just a handful of padds scattered across the tabletop. But he smiled at them.

Corman Stark wrote:

[Sickbay]

"Alright, listen up! Hughes, it sounds like you're on to the point of origin for this...space madness, for lack of a better term. You, Telak, and Abols should go to the lab and get samples of these spores." He avoided looking at the Cardassian as he said her name. "Harriman, since you're so trigger-happy today, you can watch their backs. Take respirators with you, we don't need you breathing more of that crap in. Doc," he said, turning to Henriks, "are there respirators here in Sickbay you can use?"

"Yes, sir," Henriks replied automatically. He would have preferred to remain in sickbay, but he would go where the admiral sent. At the mention of repirators, he added, "Yes, there's some in the storage room over there." If he recalled correctly, they would need four. With a nod, Henriks briefly excused himself to go fetch them.

Ilana Telak wrote:

Looking up as she felt a hand on her shoulder, Ilana smiled at the sight of Raynor Hughes.  Despite everything that had happened, she was glad that he was there.  At the mention of the pods, however, she frowned.  Her memories of the beginning of that incident were clear, finding Raynor lying on the deck, the rambling quality of his speech.  

She turned to him, tugging on his sleeve and nodding, trying to communicate that she believed that he was on the right track.

Stark wrote:

Stark then crossed his arms, his sharp gaze taking in the entirety of Sickbay...which was starting to get crowded. "Alright, listen up! Hughes, it sounds like you're on to the point of origin for this...space madness, for lack of a better term. You, Telak, and Abols should go to the lab and get samples of these spores." He avoided looking at the Cardassian as he said her name. "Harriman, since you're so trigger-happy today, you can watch their backs. Take respirators with you, we don't need you breathing more of that crap in. Doc," he said, turning to Henriks, "are there respirators here in Sickbay you can use?"

Abols wrote:

"Yes, sir," Henriks replied automatically. He would have preferred to remain in sickbay, but he would go where the admiral sent. At the mention of repirators, he added, "Yes, there's some in the storage room over there." If he recalled correctly, they would need four. With a nod, Henriks briefly excused himself to go fetch them.

[Sickbay]

Raynor glanced down at Ilana as she tugged his sleeve.  It somehow felt...odd...to be wearing clothing, almost as if that animalistic part of his brain that needed stroked from time to time was disappointed that he was acting rational again.  And then, of course, there were the other emotions that had come to the forefront in spectacular fashion...again.  Definitely more conversations for later.  If there even is a 'later' for her, at least for talking...  The Klingon quickly buried that line of thought, however.  No.  Her problem won't last forever.  We'll find a way.  That's what he did, wasn't it?  Find ways?

He was nodding as Admiral Stark mentioned the respirators, and the doctor, Abols, went to fetch them.  "If we go with the spore hypothesis, which is about the best we've got right now," Raynor said, tapping his chin, "then we can assume they're breathed.  However, we should also not discount the idea that tactile transmission plays a role, that whatever they cause is spread by skin contact."  He thought of a skin contact of an entirely different variety, the kind that he'd been engaged in not long ago.  Raynor quashed those thoughts, irritated at himself for the distraction.  I need a tall drink and a nap.  "You may want to consider full environmental suits," he said to the admiralty at large.

Raynor Hughes wrote:

[Sickbay]

Raynor glanced down at Ilana as she tugged his sleeve.  It somehow felt...odd...to be wearing clothing, almost as if that animalistic part of his brain that needed stroked from time to time was disappointed that he was acting rational again.  And then, of course, there were the other emotions that had come to the forefront in spectacular fashion...again.  Definitely more conversations for later.  If there even is a 'later' for her, at least for talking...  The Klingon quickly buried that line of thought, however.  No.  Her problem won't last forever.  We'll find a way.  That's what he did, wasn't it?  Find ways?

He was nodding as Admiral Stark mentioned the respirators, and the doctor, Abols, went to fetch them.  "If we go with the spore hypothesis, which is about the best we've got right now," Raynor said, tapping his chin, "then we can assume they're breathed.  However, we should also not discount the idea that tactile transmission plays a role, that whatever they cause is spread by skin contact."  He thought of a skin contact of an entirely different variety, the kind that he'd been engaged in not long ago.  Raynor quashed those thoughts, irritated at himself for the distraction.  I need a tall drink and a nap.  "You may want to consider full environmental suits," he said to the admiralty at large.

[Sickbay]

It was hard not to grit her teeth as Raynor seemed to ignore what she was trying to tell him, but the small voice in the back of her head told her that he probably didn't understand.  She took a step back, wrapping her arms around herself.  She was feeling a little... sidelined.  Then again, she couldn't blame them for that.

Hearing her name called as one of the medics assigned to finding out how and why everyone was suddenly acting strange, she took another step back.  And just how was she supposed to do that?  She wouldn't be any help if she couldn't tell anyone what her theories were!

Raynor Hughes wrote:

[Sickbay]

He was nodding as Admiral Stark mentioned the respirators, and the doctor, Abols, went to fetch them.  "If we go with the spore hypothesis, which is about the best we've got right now," Raynor said, tapping his chin, "then we can assume they're breathed.  However, we should also not discount the idea that tactile transmission plays a role, that whatever they cause is spread by skin contact."  He thought of a skin contact of an entirely different variety, the kind that he'd been engaged in not long ago.  Raynor quashed those thoughts, irritated at himself for the distraction.  I need a tall drink and a nap.  "You may want to consider full environmental suits," he said to the admiralty at large.

[Sickbay]

Henriks paused as he reached up where the respirators were stored. What good would they do? he wondered to himself. It was more than likely that everyone in sickbay, if not the whole station had already breathed in the spores; it was amazing how much something could travel through the ventilation system. And then the more sensible part of his brain kicked in, reminding him that until they knew more about what they were dealing with (they couldn't even be sure it was the spores at this point) that it was better to limit their contact with it.

So he scooped up two respirators in each hand and returned promptly to the main area of sickbay, where everyone else seemed to have gathered. He came back as Hughes was making his spiel. "Tactile transmission?" Henriks echoed. Something about those words made something click in his head. "Do you suppose this could be something similar to Psi 2000 virus?"

Henriks Ābols wrote:

[Sickbay]

Henriks paused as he reached up where the respirators were stored. What good would they do? he wondered to himself. It was more than likely that everyone in sickbay, if not the whole station had already breathed in the spores; it was amazing how much something could travel through the ventilation system. And then the more sensible part of his brain kicked in, reminding him that until they knew more about what they were dealing with (they couldn't even be sure it was the spores at this point) that it was better to limit their contact with it.

So he scooped up two respirators in each hand and returned promptly to the main area of sickbay, where everyone else seemed to have gathered. He came back as Hughes was making his spiel. "Tactile transmission?" Henriks echoed. Something about those words made something click in his head. "Do you suppose this could be something similar to polywater intoxication?"

[Sickbay]

Barely looking up at Henriks as he came back with the respirators from storage, Ilana took one, looking down at it in her hand.

She glanced up at him as he mentioned polywater though, frowning slightly. She had heard of the cases of polywater infection, but she hadn't done the research into it to know exactly how it worked.

She hesitated for a moment, then touched his shoulder, tilting her head to one side with a questioning look. I wish I could just ask him to explain, she thought bitterly.

Henriks Ābols wrote:

Henriks paused as he reached up where the respirators were stored. What good would they do? he wondered to himself. It was more than likely that everyone in sickbay, if not the whole station had already breathed in the spores; it was amazing how much something could travel through the ventilation system. And then the more sensible part of his brain kicked in, reminding him that until they knew more about what they were dealing with (they couldn't even be sure it was the spores at this point) that it was better to limit their contact with it.

So he scooped up two respirators in each hand and returned promptly to the main area of sickbay, where everyone else seemed to have gathered. He came back as Hughes was making his spiel. "Tactile transmission?" Henriks echoed. Something about those words made something click in his head. "Do you suppose this could be something similar to Psi 2000 virus?"

[Sickbay]

Taking a respiration unit from Henriks, Raynor nodded in thanks to the man. From what he'd seen of the doctor, the man seemed alright, if a little uptight. Nothing that some strong firewine couldn't fix, though. That seemed to be a universal truth.

"Honestly, I am just putting the tactile transmission out there as a possibility. In truth, though...I handled the plants just fine without feeling any...untoward...effects. Only after the spores blasted me in the face did I blank out, and wake up, and..." the Klingon said, trailing off a the end as his recollection brought him perilously close to discussing what had happened between him and Ilana afterward.

Speaking of whom...

He couldn't help but note how she communicated, or attemped to communicate, to Henriks using nonverbal cues. Even though Ilana had never been much on talking before, this still had to be hell for her. All the more reason to get this foolishness handled, and then work on helping her.

"Alright, then. Let's get to the lab. We should get Alpha in on this, too, " he said, nodding to Archangel. The Augment was, after all, T'Koris' CMO. While the pale girl was woefully ignorant on almost every aspect of life, she was one of the smartest people Raynor had ever encountered.

Raynor Hughes wrote:

[Sickbay]
Speaking of whom...

He couldn't help but note how she communicated, or attemped to communicate, to Henriks using nonverbal cues.  Even though Ilana had never been much on talking before, this still had to be hell for her.  All the more reason to get this foolishness handled, and then work on helping her.

"Alright, then.  Let's get to the lab.  We should get Alpha in on this, too, " he said, nodding to Archangel.  The Augment was, after all, T'Koris' CMO.  While the pale girl was woefully ignorant on almost every aspect of life, she was one of the smartest people Raynor had ever encountered.

[Sickbay]

Ilana let out a quiet breath as she realised that no one was paying attention to her. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn't have bothered her, but this wasn't normal circumstances. She didn't really understand what was happening, but no one was explaining it to her and she couldn't ask for an explanation any more than she already was.

Taking a further step back, she hunched her shoulders, wrapping her arms around her midsection. How could she help as she had been instructed to if she couldn't understand what was happening?

Raynor Hughes wrote:

[Sickbay]
"Alright, then.  Let's get to the lab.  We should get Alpha in on this, too, " he said, nodding to Archangel.  The Augment was, after all, T'Koris' CMO.  While the pale girl was woefully ignorant on almost every aspect of life, she was one of the smartest people Raynor had ever encountered.

[Sickbay]

Archangel, who was watching the proceedings from the biobed she was sitting on, nodded in agreement to the Klingon. As much as she knew that Zero got under people's skin and irritated them, she also knew that the girl was an excellent medic. Archangel herself had been subject to her ministrations on several occasions.

She went to touch her commbadge in order to summon Zero to sickbay, but her hand found bare cloth. Of course. She had left her commbadge in her quarters when she had left earlier. And she wasn't sure that she was going to be allowed to just return to duty as if nothing had happened after stabbing the station's chief of security. She sighed, pulling her knees up to her chest to hug them. She disliked not knowing what was going to happen to her. It was too close to time spent in interrogation cells.

[Corridors]

Where are you...where arrrreee youuuu... the Ferengi thought, holding his phaser out as he and his little band turned another corner, sweeping the corridor.  Something had tugged at Keldar's brain, starting almost immediately when that man had talked down to him on the bridge of the Phoenix.  He realized then and there that he'd never be accepted among these Starfleet people.  They'd always see him as a Ferengi first, someone to be underfoot, or to steal their wallet.  Metaphorically, that is.

And so... "I am that which man has made me!" the Ferengi snarled through his sharpened teeth.  He knew that was from a hewmon performance piece, one that Keldar had always thought quite asinine.  Why did the man with the monstrous face not just charge admission to see what was under his mask?  He'd have made more money, easily, that way.  And why could this Phantom character not just have both of the women for his own?  Hewmon film and literature was so stupid at times...

But he digressed.  

"He went this way," the Ferengi said to his confederates, pointing toward Sickbay.  With him was Glim, a scientist and fellow Ferengi.  They'd also convinced a few of the dockhands to join in their venture to produce gold-skinned outerwear at the expense of one Ithenite.  Glim's knowledge would be needed to save the man, later.  Keldar didn't want him to die.  With medicine being what it was, he was sure that Ogrim could get new skin grafted on without too much fuss.

As he finished pointing, Keldar hefted his weapon and charged forward, right as a group of officers wearing respirators exited into the hall.

NPC wrote:

As he finished pointing, Keldar hefted his weapon and charged forward, right as a group of officers wearing respirators exited into the hall.

[Corridor]

Ilana, who was still unsure as to her place in the group heading out to the airponics bay to study the possible cause of the madness, stiffened as she thought she heard something. Something along the lines of 'he went that way'. Since a Cardassian's hearing wasn't top of the scale even compared to Humans, she looked in the direction of where the sound had come from.

She dropped her respirator, letting out a quiet squeak of terror at the sight of weapons and the determination on the faces of the Ferengi.

Archangel T'Koris wrote:

Archangel, who was watching the proceedings from the biobed she was sitting on, nodded in agreement to the Klingon.  As much as she knew that Zero got under people's skin and irritated them, she also knew that the girl was an excellent medic.  Archangel herself had been subject to her ministrations on several occasions.

She went to touch her commbadge in order to summon Zero to sickbay, but her hand found bare cloth.  Of course.  She had left her commbadge in her quarters when she had left earlier.  And she wasn't sure that she was going to be allowed to just return to duty as if nothing had happened after stabbing the station's chief of security.  She sighed, pulling her knees up to her chest to hug them.  She disliked not knowing what was going to happen to her.  It was too close to time spent in interrogation cells.

[Sickbay]

As the sciences and medical teams began to put their plan together, Gabriel stepped out of the way. He and Archangel were guests on this starbase, and would help out when needed, but it appeared like these people had things under control. Well...control was too strong a word for a situation like this. But...still. He had a more pressing concern, right this moment.

Gabe noted how Archangel had moved to summon zero, but of course she wore no commbadge. That's because she was on her way out. Leaving it all. Starfleet, the girls...you... Wincing, Gabriel tapped his own badge.

=^="Arthur to Alpha. Report to station Sickbay at once. Arthur out."=^=

He took a breath and held it, letting it out slowly, a way that he'd used since childhood to calm himself, and turned to his wife. She'd drawn her knees up, closing herself off mentally and physically. He'd seen this before...and knew it was never good. Gabriel reached over and gently touched his wife on her shoulder, smiling warmly at her. "We need to see about the girls."

Gabriel Arthur wrote:

=^="Arthur to Alpha.  Report to station Sickbay at once.  Arthur out."=^=

[Holodeck 2]

Zero raised a pale eyebrow as she heard the call come through for her to report to sickbay. With a heavy sigh, she looked to Gavin and Thelos before muttering a command to the computer to change her ballet dress into her standard uniform.

"I believe that the voice from on high has summoned us," she said sarcastically before turning and leaving the holodeck.

[Sickbay]

Arriving in the place that, had she been assigned to the station, would have been her domain, Zero had to stop and look around at what was happening. However, her gaze fell on Gabriel, the man who had put the summons through, and she strode over to him.

"You rang?" she asked with the tone of voice generally used by a parent to a particularly annoying child. Her use of the colloquialism had been encouraged by Jiseth, who found it amusing.

Gabriel Arthur wrote:

[Sickbay]
He took a breath and held it, letting it out slowly, a way that he'd used since childhood to calm himself, and turned to his wife.  She'd drawn her knees up, closing herself off mentally and physically.  He'd seen this before...and knew it was never good.  Gabriel reached over and gently touched his wife on her shoulder, smiling warmly at her.  "We need to see about the girls."

[Sickbay]

Archangel looked up briefly at Gabriel, then down at her hands, then away from them and to the floor on the other side of the biobed, away from her husband. She couldn't bring herself to look at him, to look at the man who saw so mcuh in her that she didn't believe to be there.

"You go. I shouldn't go near them," she said quietly. She could hurt them. That thought made her want to throw up what paltry contents her stomach may have. No. She was damaged goods. This incident had just proved that. She couldn't be trusted to be near two such beautiful girls.

Zero Alpha wrote:

[Holodeck 2]

Zero raised a pale eyebrow as she heard the call come through for her to report to sickbay.  With a heavy sigh, she looked to Gavin and Thelos before muttering a command to the computer to change her ballet dress into her standard uniform.

"I believe that the voice from on high has summoned us," she said sarcastically before turning and leaving the holodeck.

[Sickbay]

Arriving in the place that, had she been assigned to the station, would have been her domain, Zero had to stop and look around at what was happening.  However, her gaze fell on Gabriel, the man who had put the summons through, and she strode over to him.

"You rang?" she asked with the tone of voice generally used by a parent to a particularly annoying child.  Her use of the colloquialism had been encouraged by Jiseth, who found it amusing.

[Holodeck 2]

Unfortunately, Gavin was still out like a light. Thelos frowned. With the insanity on the station, he didn't fancy the idea of leaving him there in case anyone stumbled upon him. They were headed to sickbay, right? That seemed like the best place for him.

Unfortunately, before he could ask for Zero's help, the icy woman had already left. "Gah! Wait- Damn," he sighed as he watched a swish of white hair turn around the corner and vanish.

Ok, well, I'll just carry you myself. How he was going to go about this was beyond him. He was sturdy, but he'd gotten exhausted just running to the holodeck. Then again, he wasn't galloping to keep up with Gavin this time either. Quite the opposite.

Throwing him over his shoulder wasn't going to work, so Thelos looped his arms under each of Gavin's and tugged him along with him. He looked utterly ridiculous, but moved along fast enough. He sincerely hoped that he'd wake up and walk on his own, but that seemed... unlikely. "Wake up, will you?"