Prisoner Exchange, Part 3: The Prisoners

Posted on 04/19/2020 @ 5:30pm by Captain Cian D'Anvers & Lieutenant JG S'Lace & Lieutenant JG Jasmine Langtree & Ensign Calliope Stratus & Ensign Neteri Blackfeather & Ensign Romal Seshel & Ensign Verek Vurkensh
Edited on on 04/23/2020 @ 11:02pm

Mission: S1E2: The Plomeek Soup Conundrum
Location: USS Blackwell, USS Crazy Horse, Shuttle Flying Hawk
Timeline: Day 5 at 1320

[USS Blackwell - Holding Cells]

Burns led the away team to the holding cells. This was his ship and no one knew it better, not even the engineering team who had built her more than ten years ago. He knew every corridor, every room, every divot and scratch. And in the past week, he had learned most of the problem areas. Fix a door and within three hours, it was broken again. Three hours. Never longer. Forget the replicators - they were all living on Plomeek Soup these days. He could well believe that even a Vulcan could learn to hate the stuff.

He led them. Not as direct a path as it should be but he got them there. The guards on duty nodded respectfully to their captain as he said, "Everything going alright down here?"

"Yes, Sir," the more senior of the guards replied. "No problems to speak of."

"Very good," Burns said. He turned to Othran. "Five prisoners. I'm officially turning them over to you."

Alvar nodded. "Lieutenant Lae'Or, how shall we go about this?"

USS Crazy Horse - Bridge

"Sir," the Operations officer on duty said. "The away team is requesting engineering to beam over using the Kicking Bear's transporter."

"Very good. Notify Engineering," Cian said. Interesting, he thought, that the shuttle's transporter is working just fine. Its a standalone system that doesn't interface with the ship's. The only thing that connect us is communications. "Flight, get another shuttle ready to depart ... but keep it isolated from both ships. Verbal communication only."

"Aye, Sir," the Operations officer said. "Bridge to Engineering."

=/\="Logan here. Go ahead."=/\=

"Sir, the away team is requesting Engineering's presence on the Blackwell. A second shuttle will be waiting."

=/\="Understood. We'll be ready."=/\=

Calliope was quick to respond to the order. "I'll need a few minutes for pre-flight inspections, but as soon as I can have it ready I will" reported the Chief Support Craft pilot. She contemplated it for a moment. "I'll have it ready and isolated."

"Very good," Cian answered. "I'm no engineer but I doubt its a coincidence that two vessels are beset by the same odd occurrences. Whatever it is, I don't want it infecting the shuttles."

"Captain perhaps I should go with them If the problem is in the main computer I might be able to find it," Jasmine requested from Science one.

"Good idea," Cian said. "And take notes. If I'm right, you'll be doing the same things here before too much longer."

[Shuttlecraft Flying Hawk]

Ensign Calliope Stratus had the shuttle prepped to go and rigged up in a way that it operated its systems independently from the Crazy Horse's systems. She was joined by Lieutenant Langtree, the Chief Science Officer.

"Pleasure to have you aboard the Flying Hawk, Lieutenant" the ensign said to the Chief Science Officer. The two had never really spent any time together before. "Preflight systems all in the green. Say a little prayer or two if you are into that sort of thing, and we'll be on our way towards the starship Blackwell" she announced. "You may call me Calliope" added the ensign.

"Thank you Calliope. You can call me Jasmine or Jazzy."

Jasmine took a seat she had brought a tool kit and a tricorder. She had a feeling that it was a recursive computer worm that was causing all these problems. Hopefully she would be able to find it isolate it and then restore the computers to normal function.

"Actually I pray all the time. I pray for the captain, the crew, the ship and the mission."

"That is comforting, Jazzy" Calliope said. "Alright, hands and feet in the shuttle at all times. Don't complain about my piloting; otherwise, I'll drop you off at the nearest barely class M planet and you can show off your survival skills."

Good thing doc gave her those motion sickness pills. Jazzy thought.

Romal approached the shuttle, carrying an engineering tricorder, a toolkit and his ever present PADD. This was the first time he had left his daughter, Mizi, alone on the ship, but he wasn't too worried. If she experienced any trouble, he had told her to contact Miss Emma, her teacher. The two had seemed to hit it off quite well and the teacher was very protective of children. Just then, the engineer's thoughts snapped back to the reality at hand.

Standing by the airlock, Romal met the pilot, a young, confident woman with blond hair. After a quick glance at his PADD, he found her name. "Ensign Stratus, I always like to know my pilots. I hope you don't mind."

"I do not mind that. You should know your pilots" she replied simply. "I like to know my passengers" she added.

"Since we're getting to know each other, I'm Romal, the chief's assistant. Perhaps we could learn more about each other when we get back." Romal suggested and smiled, taking an instant liking to the pilot.

"I would be happy to get to know you better when this is all said and done, Romal" replied Calliope.

Entering the shuttle, Romal then moved along the corridor, towards the back, where the Chief's team were to be seated. Making himself comfortable, he once again read the briefing concerning the USS Blackwell. It seemed like a difficult assignment, but he had had difficult assignments before.

"Everyone aboard and ready to go?" asked Calliope.

"Ready as ever. All the engineers are here. . .I think, wait." Romal replied and started to check his PADD again. "My engineering team are all accounted for, so fire up those engines, Ensign. We have a ship to fix!"

Calliope smiled and kept herself mostly composed. "Glad to hear everyone made it" she replied. "I wouldn't want to have to circle back to get some damage control specialist" the shuttle pilot added as she began working in her cockpit. Her hands moved like a classically trained musician; smoothly and as though rehearsed a few hundred times.

Ensign Stratus had taken shuttles out more times than she could remember. It was second nature to her as she 'fired up' the engines and lifted the shuttle upward, awaiting for clearance to depart. Smooth sailing she thought to herself as she proceeded forward and was cleared for departure. As soon as she was clear, she increased speed slightly.

"Alright," she said with enthusiasm. "Let's get you there and fix that ship" announced the ensign.

USS Blackwell - Holding Cells

Tahlin regarded the prisoners in front of her. Four of them were of an unknown species, and they didn't look well. The fifth was that shapeshifter, and even from this distance, she knew he was going to be trouble. "Blackfeather, Rickmann, you're on the Chameloid..." She turned to Burns. "Did you have your doctor evaluate these four?" she asked him. "They're not looking well at all."

"Did," Burns said quietly. "She's dead." He jerked his head toward the chameloid who had now taken on the form of their doctor, bruises collected along the slim column of her throat. A sweet soul with, as far as he was concerned, an entirely unrealistic view of how things were. She believed that every being deserved a second chance. "He had been drugged for transport; no one knew that the drugs didn't take until it was too late."

"Damn," Tahlin said quietly to Burns. "I'm sorry."

Burns nodded though he didn't respond. He was the Captain and his ship wasn't safe; mourning would come later.

Tahlin tapped her combadge. "Lae'Or to shuttlecraft. Anyone there?"

Shuttlecraft Flying Hawk

"Stratus here, what can I do for you?" replied Calliope, responding to the comm badge.

"Advise the Crazy Horse that we'll need a medical team to check out the prisoners once they're aboard ship."

"Will do" replied Ensign Calliope Stratus. "Stratus to Crazy Horse, please have medical standing by to check the prisoners once we are aboard. Their health may not be the best considering their prisoner status" reported Stratus.

"Crazy Horse here. Notifying Medical to have a team standing by," the Operations officer said as she closed the connection. "Bridge to Sickbay."

[USS Crazy Horse - Sickbay]

"...on essential personnel on hand," S'Lace was explaining, "The fewer beings present in Sickbay will mean fewer distractions for Security. I-"

S'Lace reflexively glanced up at the ceiling, she had no idea how or why that habit had settled in, "This is Doctor S'Lace."

"The away team is requesting you have a medical team standing by."

"A team will be standing by. Will the prisoners be beamed directly to Sickbay or will you need a team in a transporter room or the shuttle bay?"

"Standard procedure, ma'am," said the Operations officer. "They'll be taken directly to the Brig. You can examine them there."

"Understood," S'Lace replied. She would have much preferred to have the prisoners here in Sickbay where she had full access to all their diagnostic equipment, but it seemed Security felt the prisoners to be enough of a threat to keep them under strict controlled conditions, "We will be heading to Sickbay presently. S'Lace out."

She turned to the staff, "It seems my concerns regarding security were both premature and unfounded. I will need a medical kit. I will take Nurse Vur-"

Nurse Vurkensh gave a grunt and held up two kits.

"...Excellent." And with that Doctor and nurse departed Sickbay for the brig.

USS Blackwell - Holding Cells

"Let's make sure that we have security guarding all 5 prisoners at all times, even when the exams take place," Alvar said to Tahlin. "Especially the shapeshifter. There's always the chance that he could be using his abilities to make us think he's dead or something like that. 'Playing possum' is, I believe, the human term."

Tahlin mulled the unusual voice on the other end of the comm over in her mind for just a moment, then put it away for now. "My thoughts exactly, Sir. Blackfeather, Rickmann, with me."

Neteri looked twice at the shapeshifter. First time she saw him he was his true form. Now instead of seeing the shapeshifter she saw a doctor. What the hell was going on??

Tahlin moved towards the Chameloid, keeping her phaser drawn. "Will you cooperate?" she asked him, trying to be polite.

He shifted his attention now to the Bajoran, idle games set aside as he studied her, tendrils of thought sliding across her mind. His form changed, a dignified Bajoran elder now in the hour before his death long ago, and he nodded, a slow and graceful movement of his head though he said nothing.

Tahlin shivered. Something strange had fluttered across her mind, like the barest whisper of wind on autumn's coolest nigh. She didn't like it. Not to mention, the shapeshifter had shifted into an exact likeness of her maternal grandfather before his death five years ago... Exact, but not alike she realized. There was something cold and fathomless about those eyes.

"That's a neat trick" Todd said.

Tahlin shot the young human a look. She'd be having words with him when they got back.

"Fascinating," Alvar said dryly. "Also a bit creepy," he then muttered under his breath. "Well, while I'm sure that we could stand here all day and allow the prisoner to entertain us, we should, as an old human saying goes, get this show on the road. Captain Burns, if you would please see to it that the barrier is removed. Lt. Lae'Or, please have your team ready."

"One to a prisoner... Rickman, Blackfeather, you're on the Chameloid."

Neteri still did not like what her gut was telling he nor her mind either. She sensed danger and deception from this creature.

Yi stared at the Chameloid. She was glad to hear that she wasn’t being asked to guard it. She did her best to put out any fears of what such a creature could represent and instead found her own prisoner to guard. Weapon at the ready but set to stun, she nodded to her chief.

Burns nodded to the guard nearest the console, waited until the security team was in position, and signaled the release mechanism for all five cells, that of the chameloid who rose to his feet at once. His gaze slid from one face to another while his face seemed to melt and slide, rearranging itself into another visage, each one bearing the wounds they had had in the last moments of their life. The other four remained as they were, curled in on themselves, on their bunks, listless and inattentive.

Tahlin shivered and watched as Rickman and Blackfeather went forward to deal with the Chameloid. She didn't like the situation.

"Let's get this done. I don't like what I am feeling or sensing. It is wrong...", Neteri said. Looking at the Chameloid her mind swore if he moved the wrong way she would kill him instantly.

Todd was glad for once that He didn't have Betazoid mind powers. His mind was sharp and he didn't miss a beat. He controlled his fear, He didn't let his fear control him.

Behind Rickman and with her own charge, Yi maintained her composure. She kept her attention on her own prisoner, but never lost track of where the Chameloid was.

Gesturing to the Chameloid. "Right this way if you please". Todd said pleasantly.

The prisoner nodded, a gracious swoop of the head that showed just a smattering of gray matter and began to follow.

Tahlin moved forward, towards one of the aliens who seemed somehow a bit more delicate, a little more childlike, even than the others. Perhaps she was a woman? "If you could come with me, please?" The alien didn't respond, so Tahlin extended a hand, gently touching a shoulder, intending to help the alien up and towards the door.

She never got that far.

(to be continued)

A Post by:

Cmdr. Cian D'Anvers
Commanding Officer
USS Crazy Horse

Lt. Cmdr. Alvar Othram
Executive Officer
USS Crazy Horse

Lt. JG Lae'Or Tahlin
Chief of Security
USS Crazy Horse

Lieutenant JG Archer Logan V
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Crazy Horse

Lieutenant JG S'Lace
Chief Medical Officer
USS Crazy Horse

Lieutenant Calliope Stratus
Chief Support Craft Pilot
USS Crazy Horse

Lieutenant JG Jasmine Langtree
Chief Science Officer
USS Crazy Horse

Ensign Romal Seshel
Assistant Chief Engineering Officer
USS Crazy Horse

Ensign Neteri Blackfeather
Security Officer
USS Crazy Horse

Ensign Verek Vurkensh
Nurse
USS Crazy Horse

Petty Officer 3rd Class Todd Rickman
Security Officer
USS Crazy Horse

and

Petty Officer 3rd Class Zhen Yi
Security Officer
USS Crazy Horse