Deck 5 - Hunted?

Posted on Wed Oct 29th, 2025 @ 12:40pm by Conglomerate (Reece) & Lieutenant Commander Kara Starr {Kelea-Salik} & Lieutenant Scott Gregory [Taylor] & Crewman Sindari Toylen [ADMIN NPC] & Avalon [ADMIN NPC]

Mission: Season 6: Episode 6: Conglomerate
Location: Deck 5
Timeline: MD1/15h00
1360 words - 2.7 OF Standard Post Measure

When the pods reached the Elysiums shields, they were caught briefly, before pushing through. Each one then slammed onto the hull at various locations on Elysium, the spinning drill heads digging into the solid duranium hull plating as if it was thin aluminum.

::The bridge shook again as the pods slammed against the Elysium’s duranium plating. The sound of drilling reverberated through the decks.::

As soon as the pods latched on, the front hatches irised open and the hounds poured out, attacking anyone nearby, killing everyone in front of them.

As soon as the pods connected with the hull, new alarm klaxond began ringing through the ship. "Breach! Intruder alert!! We have breaches on decks five, eight, ten, fifteen and twenty!"

In the arboretum Kara had been enjoying some shift time off but no longer, unarmed and without a chance of getting hold of a phaser anytime soon she looked around for a good vantage point from which to observe her immediate area. Thankfully the arboretum had a few large and sturdy trees, not that it was easy to climb them, but she had little choice as she picked one near the arboretum doors from where she’d be able to assess just what to do next.

Scott had been in the arboretum, checking out the ponds as a place to bring Sapphire and the boys for a picnic. It beat the holodeck. He froze when the intruder alert sounded. He headed for the arboretum's entrance and then hopefully get to a weapons locker and arm himself.

“Hey…up here!” Kara called to Scott, with as low a voice as she could given the circumstances. “What’s going on?”

Scott froze at the voice and looked up seeing Kara among the tree limbs. "Commander!" He exclaimed softly. "We're being boarded, have intruders on board. We need to get to a weapons cache and defend the ship."

Kara nodded as she climbed down the tree. “Where is the nearest locker to here? We have to get there without being spotted.”

Scott thought for a moment on Kara's question. "Two corridors away. Not that far, once we get there we can arm ourselves."

“It’s the getting there part that worries me” Kara added as she nodded. “Right let’s do this, we have to go one way or another.”

"Right you are Commander but we can do it. There is a rear exit from here that we can access and it will let us exit without being seen and also get us closer to the weapons cache." Scott replied.

“Then lead on Lieutenant” Kara motioned for Scott to show her.

Scott nodded, "Right this way Commander, stay close, Don't want to lose you." As the pair moved slowly but stealthily toward the exit.

As the door opened the air was deathly quiet, far too quiet for it to be good. Seeing signs of a fight both ways Kara motioned to Scott hoping they weren’t about to find themselves in harms way.

"I see it Commander. It looks like the fight has passed us by, I don't hear anything but let's proceed cautiously to the weapons locker. i'll feel better with a phaser in my hand."

Further down the corridor, a hatch slowly opened and a slender figure climbed out. The yellow of her uniform was easy to spot. But the figure didn't seem to hear them. she was looking the other way. Most Engineers would have known her. Most of the crew did not. She carried a satchel over her shoulder and kept very close to the wall.

Kara motioned towards the newest arrival in the corridor, not wanting to shout which would alert the enemy to their presence, she motioned to Scott that maybe they should follow.

Scott nodded to Kara and the pair began to follow the mysterious engineer. He hoped there was truth in the old saying that there was strength in numbers.

The engineer moved to another hatch and silently opened it and as she turned to check the hall she all but jumped at the sight of the two following her. She placed a hand on her chest as she took a breath to steady herself then she pointed into the hatch and climbed inside.

Scott nodded to the engineer before turning to Kara, "We follow her, Let's hurry." As he picked up his pace, taking kara's hand in his and pulling her along. Reaching the hatch, he said "You first Commander, I'll follow and close the harch behind us. Don't lose track of our friend."

Kara nodded and climbed inside the hatch waiting for Scott to join her whilst watching where the engineer in front of them was heading.

A moment later Scott was in the tube and he closed the hatch quietly behind them as to not to alert any of the creatures. He looked at Kara, "Where did our friend go?"

“Down that way” Kara motioned on ahead. “I lost sight after that, but we should be able to locate her again.”

"Sounds good Commander, lead the way." Scott answered casting a look over his shoulder to make sure they weren't being followed.

As they rounded the corner they found the engineer waiting. She watched them silently. Then she lifted the Padd. [[Sirs.]] The PAdd spoke. [[I am crewman Toylen. I am deaf and mute. Sorry if this makes it harder.]] She then pointed to the headset she wore, it was covered by her hair. [[You can speak normally i can read what you say via this.]] Then she turned to the panel beside her. [[I am activating forcefield, but they are to block non Federation and non Elysium crew biosigns on this deck.]]

Scott nodded at the crewman. "I'm Lieutenant Gregory and this is Commander Starr." He spoke gesturing at Kara. "We are sure glad to have found you. Excellent idea with the forcefields. We need some weapons if we're going to combat these creatures. Do you know where the nearest weapons locker is from here?"

The Engineer nodded. [[Two corridors down.]] came the reply. [[Forward aft.]]

Suddenly, on the far side of the forcefield, a turbolift door exploded i
Out towards them. Though the smoke came two vicious looking beasts. When the first one saw the crewmen, it howled and lurched forward, running full speed into the forcefield that Toylan had just erected. The collision caused several of the beasts cybernetic implants to spark, as it struggled to stand and shake off the pain.

As it did so, the other beast snarled and lifted its massive paws, extending its superheated claws. It immediately started tearing into the bulkhead to its right, as it fought to dig a way around the forcefield.

Sindari didn't even spare it a glance as she began manipulating the forcefields to entrap it more firmly [[I cannot access transporter tech from here. If I could, I would beam it out.]]

"Just keep it from getting to us." Scott urged Sindari while nudging Kara. "We should keep moving put as much distance as we can between it and us." He looked at Sindari, "We need to go, all of us."

As they ran, the hound finally broke through the first bulkhead, thankfully into an empty cabin. It quickly moved to start tearing its way through the next bulkhead, as its injured partner came and joined in on the destruction.

A forcefield slammed down on the cabin's door. And then the atmosphere was emptied from it.

Scott heard the forcefield slam down as the air was emptied from the cabin. he also heard the creature's roar as they gasped for air. "Come on." He urged Kara and Sindari, "Keep moving."

Though enhanced with various cybernetic implants, the hounds did still require oxygen. As soon as the air was pulled from the cabin, it panicked, like the animal it was. It tore at its throat as it fought to pull in much-needed oxygen. In moments, it collapsed to the deck, then shortly after, died due to lack of oxygen.

Sindari led the way through the tubes to safety, while making sure the forcefields behind them protected them.

~OFF~