Away Team 1 - Reunification JP

Posted on Fri Sep 1st, 2023 @ 8:47am by Lieutenant Thor Magnus & Lieutenant Commander Aurelia Taylor & Consul Andrinn Orin & Captain Samuel Woolheater & Senior Chief Petty Officer Fernando De La Rosa [Taylor] & Avalon [ADMIN NPC]

Mission: Season 6: Episode 3: Far From Home
Location: Massive Derelict
Timeline: MD3 - 14h00 Approx
5103 words - 10.2 OF Standard Post Measure

As the group walked and explored, the Elysium's AI came through their comms. "Commander Taylor, I have an alert from Consul Orin. They are in need of assistance. Captain Woolheater is injured. They are three decks away, we are unable to beam them or you out. There is an area five decks below them, that we can use for extraction."

"Taylor here, we're in a corridor which doesn't feel right. If you know what I mean, so what's the quickest way to get to Woolheater and Orin?" She held up her hand and called to Da La Rosa, "Fernando, about turn. The other teams in trouble, we gotta get there asap!"

Fernando had gone a few feet but turned and came back to Lia as she called to him. "Then let us not waste time Commander. Avalon can show us the way to the others." He replied.

"Avalon, show us the quickest way to team 2." Checking that Fernando was following her, she moved in the direction indicated. "So Avalon, just what has team 2 got themselves into?" Lia needed to know what both she and Fernando were getting into.

Thor was scanning the area as he was bringing up on a map finally everything they need to know.

[[Follow the light on the map i uploaded to your padd.]] The AI replied.


[MEANWHILE IN ANOTHER LOCATION OF THE DERELICT]


"You sure you know how to work that thing...sir?" Sam teased as they walked out of sight of Away Team 1A.

"Honestly, you should have seen the tricorders when I joined Starfleet. They were these clunky things that would have made these things look like something of myth and legend," Andrinn said, thinking about putting in all the right codes and hitting all of the right buttons.

The tricorder was now their only way to know how to get back to that junction. It was difficult to orient oneself. When everything looked the same. When they stopped as Andrinn got another good tricorder scan, the silence of the place was near deafening. Sam could hear his heartbeat and the blood rushing through. He took a few steps forward and looked down the corridor. Ahead, it disappeared into darkness. Sam asked, "Could this be...like...I dunno...could we be in an alien version of the holodeck?" He turned to look at Andrinn, "I mean, how convienient that an alien ship has light that is comfortable to our eyes, not too cold and not to hot, with near perfect gravity. And these walls...the corridors...remind me of an empty matrix on a holodeck. You know? A blank slate?" Sam came nearby to stand near Andrinn as he watched him take more scans.

"I mean, it could be. You should have seen the thing that the holoship that they found on the Ba'Ku homeworld back in 2375. Had the entire planet mapped out and they were going to beam the entire planetful of people straight up to the holoship. So, it could be...maybe?" Andrinn replied back, starting to wonder himself.

"What kind of energy signature does a holomatrix leave anyway? Well....it's just a theory. If there no one to greet us...maybe the ship is automated?" he asked. Sam approached a wall and touched the surface of the green, glassy surface. It was perfectly smooth and cold to the touch. But then, he saw where his fingers had traced a red shadow that evaporated after a moment in the shape of his fingers. "Huh....reacts to heat? It's cold to touch it."

"I'm just wondering if it's something like the SCE was working with before I left Earth. I think they called it programmable matter or something like that. Maybe, that's something of SCE design?" Andrinn said as he walked over and began to scan the material.

Sam placed his right hand up to the wall and felt the coldness. He watched as his handprint was leaving a warm spot. It was red and then growing in deeper red and yellow intensity. Sam smiled back and looked at Andrinn, "Hey look?
I think it likes me?" Suddenly and without warning. Sam was pulled quickly against the cold, green surface. "Ouch!" he said as he was shocked at the firm grip. The "wall" began to liquify. Sam was being pulled in, "No don't! Stay back. Andy! Get my gear off of me. The rifle! Get all my gear...take it off!" Even as Sam asked him, he was pulling at the loop on his rifle. To get it off. Then, Sam's head and upper body were pulled into the green goo. His left arm still grasping for Andrinn and yet pushing him away so that he would not get sucked in too. And then, Sam was enveloped and pulled into the green goo. The wall returned to its nominal glass-like state. Andrin was left with Sam's rifle, his K-Bar knife and his hand phaser and the DSA's. He was gone.

Andrinn tapped his combadge as he ran and grabbed Sam's phaser rifle and began firing on it. Andrinn said, "Orin to DPT and Away Team One. Emergency Transport of Captain Woolheater and myself off this ship. Diplomatic Code One!"

However, all that Andrinn got was static on his combadge. Andrinn fired at the location where Sam was sucked up first before aiming for other parts of the green goo. However, it just sucked up the phaser fire as Andrinn was firing on it, so there wasn't much he could do at that moment. Andrinn just stopped firing for a moment to see what it would do.

After a while, minutes perhaps, the same "wall" where Sam had been sucked into came alive again. On it, were displayed, what appeared to be a complete catalogue of Samuel's body. There were red blood cells inexquisite detail. Skin cells, his entire circulatory system. His nervous system, a detailed map of his heart, his lungs. Muscle fibres were analysed. His eyes were dissected and as if a computer were cataloguing the data. His brain, the synapses still firing. Layer upon layer of information in the finest of details with no written language present. There was a sound now, just becoming audible and growing as the data of Sam grew. And then, just like an orchestra tuning up, these layers were brought together and the individual layers and sounds came together into a harmony. It was Sam, as one cohesive whole again, his skeleton covered with nerves and arteries, blood filling those arteries and veins, muscles forming over that and then his skin, his tan and his tan lines and then body hair and then clothing. The image slowly rotated and then, a bubble formed on the liquid wall. Sam's body appeared. He was unconscious and he slid out of the green goo, perfectly dry and unharmed.

Andrinn ran over to Sam and began scanning him for any sort of lifesign. He wasn't sure what Sam had just went through, but he was sure that something happened. Andrinn's tricorder was going off the charts and he wasn't sure what he was to do at this moment. Andrinn just tapped his combadge and said, "Orin to Avalon. Are you able to hear me?"

[[Acknowledged]] came the reply

"Avalon, are you able to transport us off this ship?" Andrinn asked quietly, scared of what just happened to Sam. Andrinn wasn't a scientist, but he knew that whatever just sucked Sam up was something other than human and Andrinn wanted to make sure Sam was okay. But, that would take a doctor to truly say either way.

[[Unfortunately no, the hull prevents it and the shuttle transporters are blocked]]

Andrinn slammed his hand against the deck plate. Something was jamming transporter beams off the ship from where Andrinn and Sam were. However, something popped into mind. Andrinn said, "Avalon, are the low frequency Diplomatic channels back online yet?"

[[Not 100%]] Came the reply.

"Avalon, locate Commander Taylor, Lieutenant Magnus, and Chief De La Rosa using the low frequency Diplomatic Channel. Tell them that we're in need of assistance and our location. Tell them to hurry," Andrinn said, slowly stroking Sam's cheek and smiling slightly as he looked down at the man that looked like he was sleeping in his arms.

[[Shall do so for you Ambassador]]

Andrinn signed off with Avalon and just held onto Sam slightly. He scanned Sam again, checking to see if he had any sort of vitals that Andrinn could lock onto and Sam's vitals were all over the place. Andrinn closed the tricorder and said, "Don't die on me yet. You're still too damn young to die on me yet."

While Andrinn held Sam, section by section the illumination dimmed out. It was a terribly calustraphobic feeling. And it was dark. When the illumination in this section faded away, all that was left was a faint glow from the wall area that had spat out Samuel's body. One had the feeling that there was something else...in the dark. The glow, a wispy finger slowly extended longer and longer until it hovered above Andrinn's head. Then, suddenly, it darted towards him and impacted his head. But nothing happened. It was as if there was something about Andrinn that prevented the wisp from entering him. It only took a second and the wisp found a home in Sam. It entered his chest and disappeared. The darkness was so thick now. And Sam felt like dead weight.

Then the illumination came back on. A second later, Sam convulsed as if he had been electrocuted. His back arched and he was stiff. His face contorted, twisted in pain. Then he dropped. The tricorder registered no life signs. Then, they were back. Samuel gasped for air. His eyes closed. His heart back to beating again. He slowly relaxed again and fell totally limp in Andrinn's arms.

Then his eyes popped open. They were a deep green that faded into his normal aqua blue color. The slightest of smiles crossed his lips and then was gone. Sam coughed, gasped and tried to sit up. "Andy? What happened?"

All Andrinn could do was sit there with Sam in his arms. Hoping....praying that Sam was truly back with him. But, Andrinn knew that he had to be 100% sure of that before anything. He used the tricorder and looked over the data in front of him, showing that life sign again. Andrinn chuckled and gently kissed Sam on the forehead, whispering, "Damn you Sam. You scared the living heck out of me. I'm not entirely sure what happened. It looks like you may have been electrocuted, but I'm not sure how that happened. The tricorder is having some trouble reading what happened, or making heads or tails of it. I'm just waiting on Commander Taylor and her team to meet me here. The transporters seem to be down and I had to use Avalon and the low frequency diplomatic channel to get ahold of them. Just lay still."

Andrinn just laid his forehead against Sam's, several tears forming in his eyes.

After a moment to catch his breath and process what Andrinn was saying, Sam kissed him back and sat up with some help. "I remember touching the computer interface terminal and...and...then being pulled inside the sampling unit. But then nothing. I had the weirdest dreams...?" He noticed Andrinn's wet tears, "Hey? I'm sorry if that was scary. I didn't mean to scare you." Sam tried to stand up but needed help. "I feel weird...Its been....so long....that...since I've been in corporeal form...". He looked at Andrinn, "I know you and I don't know you." He looked around at the corridor and deck, "I know this place...and I don't know this place." Sam looked at his hands and flexed them and the his uniform and his legs, then his reflection in the mirror-like surface of the wall. "This body...this isn't me. Is it? I like it...it's strong. It belonged to a warrior? Hmmm....a marine?" Sam looked at Andrinn but it was a look Andrinn had never seen before.

Andrinn looked at Sam for a moment, looking rather confused at what Sam was saying. However, Andrinn wanted to know what Sam was talking about. So, while Sam talked for a moment, Andrinn pulled out his tricorder and scanned Sam for anything that could explain why he wasn't being himself. The tricorder said that Sam was fine, but Andrinn knew better than that. Andrinn just looked at Sam and said, "What's going on buddy. You feeling okay?"

Andrinn stroked Sam's cheek, wanting everything to be okay. But, he wasn't sure that he was okay, so he couldn't answer that wholly. They were far away from home, so anything could have been possible.

"Commander, I wonder what trouble the Captain and Ambassador have found themselves in. Has Avalon given any update?" Fernando inquired as they hurried down the corridor to Woolheater's and Orin's location.

Lia looked at Fernando, "Knowing those two, anything is possible. And no she still hasn't told me a bloody thing." She stopped and glanced at the map, "This way, they're close." Turning a corner she spotted the pair, "Orin, Woolheater!! Sit rep, and what's with that aroma? Does anyone else smell anything? It's kinda sweet and gooey, if you get my drift."

Hearing the rest of the team coming around and talking with each other, Andrinn heard someone say something about a sweet and gooey smell around them. Andrinn hadn't taken the time to actually the time to actually "smell the roses" as the Human saying went. But, then Andrinn took a moment to smell everything, only to notice that it was coming from Sam's direction. Andrinn pointed to Sam as the rest of the team came up to them and replied, "Well, it might be this guy right here. He was sucked up by the ship? Something on the ship? Something? Then, he came out a big more gooey than beforehand and I think he might be a bit disoriented. He said a few things that didn't make sense? Like, talking in the third person almost?"

Moving closer to Sam, Lia sniffed the air. "Oh god, that's it. That's the smell, what the hell is it?" She looked at the wall Andrinn pointed at, "Sucked in to the wall? Are you sure that's Woolheater?" Stepping back and moving Fernando with her she drew her phaser, "Enterpries 1701A, V'Ger mission. A crew man was replaced by what was discovered to be an Android, this might be something similar. Consul Orin I require you step away from that person, until we can establish it is indeed Captain Woolheater." She turned to Fernando, "Scan him every which way but loose, I'll do the same. If we don't match, lets just say it's going to be a short visit."

Fernando was going to comment on the smell but stopped as Lia pulled him back from Orin and Woolheater. He looked at Lia and then at Woolheater. "Not the Captain?" He questioned he has he pulled his scanner up to as Lia asked. "Do you think we have an imposter, Commander? If so, where is the real Captain Woolheater?"

"He maybe still stuck in that wall, or he maybe dead. I'm not sure right now, but if my hunch is right we'll soon find out." Lia pointed her tricorder at the Marine Captain, the readings were all over the place. "Fernando, what you got?" She noticed the wall pulsing, "Consul, please join myself and the Chief over here please." She pointed with her other hand at the wall, "Not sure what's happening, but I want the three of us together well away from that."

Fernando looked at his scanner then back at 'Woolheater' a concerned look appearing on his face. "The readings are fluctuating all over the place Commander. Could the real Captain still be trapped inside the wall?"

Lia now nodded, "I'm hoping so, because I don't want to be the one to loose an away team member. Andrinn, get over here NOW!" She hoped by using his first name the Consul might react as she wanted.

Sam appeared not to take too much concern with the arrival of the rest of the away team. And while that was somewhat of a relief given his current questionable condition, the same couldn't bew said for this area of the ship. The 'walls' of the corridor were moving. Fluid like. their surface perfectly smooth but having a liquidity to it. And the greenish glow of the rea had intensified. On the other side, just below the surface were dozens and dozens...perhaps hundreds of the same whipsy looking glows. They remained on their side, just below the surface.

Samuel spoke, "I know all of you. Why are you afraid?" Sam looked at Andrinn - but it wasn't Sam - not really. Looking at his hands, and picking up the phaser rifle, it all seemed so familiar..."I have to get off this ship..." he said under his breath. "Where is the shuttle?" Sam asked. He touched his hand to the glass-like surface of the wall and the ship told him where the shuttle was. 'Sam's' eyes glowed green.

Thor was in great danger now.

Andrinn looked at the rest of the away team and just stopped for a moment. He knew that something was wrong, not just from dating Sam. But, for the sheer fact that Sam's eyes were green and glowing. Andrinn looked back at Sam and asked, "Why do we need to get back to the shuttle Sam?"

[MEANWHILE - THE NEW SHUTTLE LOCATION]

As the arrow class shuttle Asphodel arrived at its new location, a large hangar area, the ship recognized the vessel. The 'walls' started to glow and those little wisps of green pumgemt light started arriving in greater numbers. And the greenish light grew brighter all the while.


[BACK TO THE AWAY TEAM]

Andrinn looked back at Sam and asked, "Why do we need to get back to the shuttle Sam?"

'Sam' looked at Andrinn and answered, "We have been here...so long. Such a long time now. Do you know what that is like?" he asked. There was a sorrow in his voice; that hadn't been there before, a longing. "We...I...were once like you? We were explorers. When we arrived here...we found ourselves trapped. Our ship...our home could no longer sustain us. And we waited. For the others. But they never came. We were lost. We had no idea just how lost we were...how lost we are." 'Sam' looked at Andrinn and then the rest of the away team. "At first, we started sending...groups. Samuel calls them, 'away teams'. We went searching. We made maps. But in every direction we found...nothing that could help us. These...worlds. They were not yet formed. Gas and rock. Life was in an infancy. Our systems...here. They began to fail. But. But! We found a way. A way to survive. Our bodies, they could not live long here. We don't know why. We decayed, rapidly after so many...centuries." 'Sam' looked at Andrinn, "You know don't you, Ann-drinnn? You...know...what that feels like. To lose everything...everyone you ever cared about?" 'Sam' wept. "OOOhhhh!!! Death...it is repugnant to us. And we hate it!"

'Sam' recovered after a moment, but he never dropped the sniper's rifle.

"Then...they came. Other ships. Also caught on this...filament. This...NAIL! Upon - which-we-hang!" 'Sam yelled angrily. "Others...like you, but not like you...they came and took from us. They took...everything we had. We could not stop them." 'Sam nodded his head, "They were...lost too. Lost. And alone. We could not understand. We shared what we could spare. We had no quarrel with any. But...they left. HELLPP USS!!!" 'Sam' cried loudly and stepped away from the wall. A thick, rope like form of green energy connected hom to the ship. How brightly it glowed!

"We...did...nothing...to you. Why do you hate us? Steal...can you not hear us? See us? We are dying out here! And still many came...until there was nothing left! Nothing left to take??!!" 'Sam' looked at Andrinn, "He loves you. But you know that. He...the owner of this body..~~ SSsssaammmm ~~~~" The voice echoed throug the walls. "He is...he feels shame?"

Andrinn couldn't help but wonder what was going through this entity's head, as to make him want to hurt Sam or anyone on the away team, especially since they just met this entity. Andrinn stood there and remained silent, quietly wondering and wanting to do more. But, he couldn't keep quiet for long and Andrinn said, "Well, tell him that I love him too."

Andrinn didn't want to say too much because he didn't know where the entity was keeping the true Sam, nor did he want the entity to harm anyone on the away team.

With her phaser set on heavy stun, Lia now pointed it squarely at Sam. "Stand down Captain, or what ever you are. If there's a problem lets talk it out first shall we." Dropping her tricorder she pressed her communicator, "Magnus, stand off. Do not, I repeat, do not beam anyone off this ship. Respond."

"Fernando, get Orin and start retreating back the way we came. If the Captain attempts to prevent you, you have my permission to shoot him. Do you understand?"

The Elysiums AI's voice crakled in their ears. "Commander, if you go down two decks, there is a large hangar. I have directed the shuttle there. Its closer than the hatch you came in at."

"Aye Commander." Fernando replied and then to Orin. "Ambassador, step to me please." His phaser was out and pointed at 'Sam'. It didn't waver a millimeter. "Now sir." He pressed.

"Avalon, I have a situation here. I need you to scan what appears to be Captain Woolheater, I think he or it maybe an Android. Can you confirm or deny this please." Lia's phaser never moved from Sam/or it, she couldn't be sure and because of that she worried about loosing or leaving someone behind.

"Apologies Commander due to distance I am unable to do so." The AI replied.

Fernando looked at 'Sam' "We don't hate you. Not at all, we don't understand. Please help us to understand." he then looked at Lia. "Commander, that 'rope 'connects Sam to the ship. It could be life support."

"You LIE! Ah...we shall...ask this one." And from seemingly all around them came a muffled scream of a humn voice in pain. 'Sam' gripped the sniper's rifle and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he looked at Fernando and narrowed his gaze, "Why are you here?" he asked. "This one...hides something from us...tell me! Why are you here?" and he raised the rifle and pointed it directly at Commander Taylor.

"Lower your weapon now 'Captain'. I'll shoot you if you don't." Fernando said firmly. His phaser pointed at 'Sam' and his finger around the trigger. Let no doubt about the seriousness of his statement. "Now Captain." He repeated.

'Sam' got a nasty looking smile on his face and said, "Ah...we have your shuttle!" His eyes glowed a terrible green and then he dropped the sniper's rifle, took a step back, smiling terribly and then stepped back into the 'wall' and was absorbed into the green gooeyness. While that was happening, another bubble was forming on a different section. It grew in size and shape, roughly the same size as an adult human. It grew bigger and then popped open. Expelling the real Captain Woolheater.

He was covered in slimey goo. He hit the floor of the corridor and coughed and vomitted up green sludge. Gasping for air, spitting out green goo he did his best to communicate saying, "We...(cough)...have to get out...(cough)...of here. Commander! The Bebetee know...(cough)...they know everything...(cough)...I fought them...(cough)...they read my mind...(cough)...I tried...(cough)...to stop them. It's a prison ship! This whole...(cough)...the Bebetee...they incarcerate the life force...the...(cough)...(vomit)...the...consciouness. They let me go...leave us here to die...(cough)...they're after the shuttle. I know....(cough)...where to go...Thor. Has to rotate the shields...like...the...Borg! Help me up! Let's go!"

Andrinn didn't let Fernando get them too far, so he heard the rest of the team helping Sam along. The real Sam this time around, but he was covered in goo. Andrinn slowed down long enough for him and Fernando to catch up with the rest of the team. Andrinn walked over to Sam and said, "I thought I gave you an order not to go off and try and die on me, Mister?"

Sam wiped his hands and the goo from his face. He spat out what was in his mouth and tried not to think about drowning. He looked over at Andrinn, there was so much he wanted to say but couldn't. "Tell you later buddy. First, we need to get out of here. This way!"


[THE HANGAR]

The 'walls' of the hangar bay began to liquify. Behind them, there were so many wisps of energy now that the bay seemed electrified with green, glowing energy. From out of the walls, oozing like taffy, several tendril of glowing energy reached out for the shuttle. The tendril would lengthen a bit and then another wisp of energy would join it and it would extend a bit further. On and on, over and over it grew and lengthened and grew closer. Not just one tendril, there were now four. One from each of the cardinal points on a compass. ~If they could only touch the ship!~ they thought. Asphodel would not be mediocre today. There would be no middle ground. And with Magnus trapped on board; difficult choices lay ahead.

As Sam led the away team through the massive derelict, his knowledge of the ship having been given him by the still unknown process of having your mind laid bare before an alien species. One that is very old, he was able to find the quickest most direct route to the hangar area. As they entered, there was a section that had a different archway, a different frame. He recognized it and said to Commander Taylor, "I know that place. Commander? That's...the map room. A sensor suite. I know it. The aliens, the Bebetee, they have spent decades mapping this area of space. I think we should get the data."

That meant going back into the goo, the 'wall'; it meant not only having to drown all over again, a thought which Sam did not relish. It also meant that he would be vulnerable again to the 'exchange'. That was also very distasteful. Yes, he knew more about them. But they also knew more about him now. Further, how long could he reasonably be in there? He had no idea of how to get the map data out of their version of a navigational database and star charts. He said, "Dammit all! Where is a got dang science type when you got dang need one!" Sam looked at the rest of the away team, anybody know how to build an interface to an alien system, to access their star charts, without them catching on and...do it in the next sixty-seconds?"


Lt. Thor Magnus was trapped but not out of the woods. He fixed the communications in the shuttle. “Crew, this is Lt. Thor Magnus. It has been hectic here just as much as there. No excuses but how can I help now. The shuttle is fully operational.”

"Well, if we want to get the starcharts and get out of here within the next minute, why don't we put a transceiver onto something and have one of the science or engineering teams transfer the data while we get out of here? Maybe even Avalon could transfer the data and use the shuttle as a hub between the two ships while we're in open space? Cause, I don't feel like being eaten like Sam just was," Andrinn replied, watching as the walls were doing their goo thing.

“Way ahead of you,” Thor replied. “In twelve seconds. 12…11….10…9…..8…..7…..6…..5….4….3…..2….1. Let’s roll everyone. Avalon, please assist now.” In the next fifteen seconds, the crew was coming back. “Multi-tasking here.”


A small transceiver was beamed directly into the area that Sam was looking at. That got the Bebetee's attention. For a moment, they stopped their advance on the shuttle and it was now or never. "That's it! GO!" Sam encouraged. It was very tempting to take a parting shot at one of the tendrils of energy, but he restrained himself getting the hell out of here and possibly with alien mapping data might have all been worth it.

One energy tendril did make contact with the hull of the shuttle and immediately the green light started to grow brightly. Sam called to Magnus, "Lieutenant! I hope you're ready with those shields?" Next he turned to Fernando and the Commander to make sure that they were with them.

“Aye Sir,” Thor replied. “You all need to move faster.”

Fernando looked at the others. "GO! I will cover our withdrawal. Get to the shuttle but don't leave without me. Heather would be quite upset if you did." As he raised his phaser to cover the others.

Andrinn saw the transceiver beamed in and went over to grab it. There was a nearby console and he ran over to it. Andrinn popped something off of the back of it, attaching the transceiver to the circuitry that was back there. He yelled to the team, "I think that it's ready. It should send the information back to the ship. Can we beam out of here yet or are we running?"

Fernando pushed Lia into the shuttle. "Apologies Commander as he jumped into the shuttle behind her, slamming his hand down on the door hatch to close it. "Hit it! Let's get out of here now!"

Thor who was piloting the shuttle waited until everyone was in. Fernando was the last one in as he watched the back door. As soon as the shuttle was closed, Thor got the hell out of dodge.

End Post