Chain Reaction

Posted on Wed Feb 13th, 2019 @ 7:41am by Captain Benjamin Ingram Dr

Mission: S1E2: A Temple To New Gods
Location: Engineering Module, Backup LIfe Support Annex
Timeline: MD3 13.15PM

The transporter's energies dissipated into the ether, releasing the landing party into the dimly lit control room. Tanks, pipes, gauges and control panels in low power mode greeted them. On a chair in front of the largest control pane was slumped a marine, an expended emergency air bottle from a medical kit dropped at his feet. At seeing this Benjie reached up and felt the seals of his own rebreather mask, making sure it was secured on like everyone else.

"Lt th'Zohan, secure him in case he's a light sleeper," Benjie directed. The Commander of Canopus Station then pulled a tricorder from his belt, and powered up the scanner. "Dr Kiiz if you'd be so kind as to make sure the air in here is safe for us to breath without falling unconscious, I would be obliged."

As he did this, he reached up and patted his combadge.

"Ingram to Vendrest, I hope you took my advise to find a sealed room. It would be a shame to be talking to your unconscious body at the moment," Benjie said without looking up from the scanner.

"Sorry to disappoint you," came Axon's voice through the comm system. "I'm awake and alive. I'm currently stuck in a sealed section of the jeffries tube, but as soon as you clear out this gas, I'm happy to join you."

"We're working on that as we speak. We've arrived in the Backup Life Support Annex, expect clean air in short order. Until then take small, air conserving breathes," Ingram explained. He waved a hand at the control panel, and one of the landing party sporting a gold collar stepped forward to hook up a battery pack to the console.

"Let there be light," the commander said as the main console flickered to life. Hazard indicators popped into existence almost instantly as the life support monitors picked up the knock out gas. A hull roaring could be heard like wind from beyond a closed door, as the vents of the Engineering Module went to work.

Danger: Particulate Matter Detected In Lower Level Filters

"The fact there is dust in the air doesn't seem that odd, all truth be told," Ingram said to himself. The Marine slumped in his chair made a gurgling, awakening sound. "I've seen enough action-adventure holo's to know how this ends. Lieutenant th'Zohan until the magnitude of the Marine coup comes to light, bind that man in whatever alloy is fashionable for Starfleet Security."

Ingram then turned on Dr Kiiz.

"The air scrubber's are working on removing the gas from the air. So whilst we don't need to worry about that, I would be delighted-" Ingram tone of voice painted that as a lie. "-if you could give the Marine here a good bio work up. Just to make sure we're not going to have a JAG officer get them all off on charges of mutiny with a tragic case of space sickness."

"Sterling silver and duranium it is." Theylan replied with a dead-pan tone to his voice as he raised a boot to kick (lightly, he would attest) the traitor onto the ground, rolling him onto his front as he then proceeded to place a pair of the afforementioned gleaming manicals upon the wrists of the passed out marine. Just enough to make sure he didn't dislocate something in his slumber, but he would ache when he awoke that was for sure. No less for traitors. He thought, and he did so despise traitors with a unique fire known only on in the heart of a loyal son of the Imperial Guard.

His quarry secure, he proceeded to grab him by the back of the collar, dragging him along the ground in what he was sure would have been quite uncomfortable.

"Very good," Ingram said in a pleased tone. It was no secret that he was not a man known for rough action after all the Ingram name was more often enough of a brute force weapon in its own right. But having a Personal Brute Squad on call was always nice to have. "Keep the breathing masks on. The life support's clearing out the gas, but given the warning tell-tales on the control panel, I'm more worried about the dust than anything else."

The Marine shifted violently, awakening with the foggy eyed look a man arising from a deep slumber to find himself in handcuffs. It was a unique look of utter befuddlement, not aided at all by Lt th'Zohans Patented Sleeping Gas And Liver Tonic.

Vereyn pulled out his tricorder and ran it over the marine's body. Punching a few keys and reading the readouts, he snapped it shut. "He will have a headache, but nothing long lasting from the gas." Looking back up at the Commander, "Maybe a few bruises from when he fell, but he will live." The Trill placed the tricorder back into it's holster on his belt.

"Mores the pity." Theylan chimed dryly, looking down at the form of the marine. "With your permission, Sir, I'm going to go and ensure we don't get any nasty surprises and establish something of a perimeter. I imagine at least a few of these marines might have avoided total subjugation." Theylan was after all, a man of thoroughness... and he might admit a certain degree of sadistic glee in dolling out fitting punishment in this case.

"An excellent show of initiative Lt th'Zohan," Ingram said with a nod of approval. "Though be aware we have an incoming friendly, Commander Axon Vendrest with Starfighter Command. I would prefer he wasn't stunned or beaten, but I know these things can happen when in hostile territory."

He turned his attention from the Security officer, and walked over to the Marine and knelt down before the bound soldier.

"Now, I think it's time you and I had a little chat before the JAG officers arrive with the knives and bamboo skewers," Ingram said with a smile that was as close to subzero as could be achieved. "I mean a mutiny is one thing, but from what I'm told your merry band of fellow's shot down escape craft trying to leave this module. It's not treason, but murder is murder...and you're not even looking at me."

Ingram looked over his shoulder at the empty live support centre behind him, just a console and chair and nothing else. No blinking messages on the console warning of incoming reinforcements. Benjie looked back at the Marine, young with freckles that spoke of innocents and all manner of wholesome things that made his teeth fur up with sweetness.

"They...they know what we did," the Marine said softly, his eyes finally looking at Ingram squarely. "We did on orders."

A clang of metal disrupted the conversation as a ceiling hatch fell to the ground. From the now open area, a pair of feet dangled from above. "Sorry it took so long," came Axon's voice as he dropped to the floor. He landed as gracefully as possible, but stumbled slightly. "What'd I miss?"

Ingram held up a hand to silence Axon, a delicious decadent gesture given their shared history.

"Whose orders soldier?" Benjamin asked, clicking his fingers to try and bring the Marines attention back onto him. But there was a new distance between them that could have been measured with light speed lag, as the Marine's gaze locked onto a spot on the far bulkhead. Ingram tried clicking his fingers, to no avail.

"As usually Axon, impeccable timing," he said in a huff as he got off his knees.

Axon rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, but said nothing.

"Well at least you don't contend the point, we'll call that progress. Now, if you would be so kind as to fill us all in on what's going on here. One of your pilots made it to the Support Module, told us how the Marine's had come back from the planet's surface and took over in a somewhat violent manner. How accurate is that appraisal?" Ingram said and looked down at the Marine. "Because right now it looks like he'd have trouble fighting off an epileptic tribble, let alone firing a phaser rifle in anger."

"It's very accurate, actually," Axon said. "I would assume that the Marine is affected by the gas you pumped into this place. As that gas wasn't present during the mutiny, it's safe to say that his current state has no effect on the previous course of events." Without waiting for a response, Axon limped to a console and began running an internal scan. "There are pairs of marines spread out over the entire module. It will probably be easiest to transport them to one place and confine them."

"Suggestion duly noted. Though we'll need to use the Resolutes transporters. I don't want the Engineering Module fully powered up enough to run the main energiser coils until Chief Ricci has gone over everything with a fine tooth comb. Colonel Sytex's little rant makes me think he might have set up a little insurance policy against his improbable defeat," Ingram walked up to the side of Axon and eyed the monitor. He made a mental tally, noting each bio sign with a rough estimate of the Marine contingent on the Module. Without knowing if any of the Marines had fallen during the mutiny, or if others had aided in the attack, it was an estimate.

But it looked like they were all out for the count.

"I argued strenuously against having the Marines on the station you know," Ingram said conversationally to Axon. "Standard Starfleet Security and Project Long Jump's Expedition Security teams could have handled the role perfectly. But what care do those in stations above their betters have?"

He placed his tricorder on the console, linking it to map of unconscious Marines.

=/\="Lt th'Zohan, find a nice empty space you can secure with your team. We'll be beaming guests into momentarily for processing. They should all be unconscious, but I'm sure I don't have to tell you to be prepared for the worst. Just in case," =/\= Ingram said into his combadge.

"Commander." Dr. Kiiz said as he approached the CO, "Sir. I may be able to snap him out of this state if you wish to talk to him." The Trill gestured towards the Marine on the floor, "Though no guarantees that he won't revert to his previous state."

"If you'd be so kind Dr Kiiz. I'd much prefer knowing what we are walking into now, than wait for the shoe to drop on our heads," Ingram muttered darkly. His tricorder beeped from terminal where he'd left it, and he glanced at the message there. "Ah, good Chief Ricci has begun the recovery effort of the Support Module. At least one good thing is coming out of all of this."

Vereyn nodded as he moved towards the marine. Setting his medical bag on the ground next to him as he knelt down next to the downed marine. Pulling a hypospray from the bag, he put a vial into it, set the dosage and pressed it to the man's neck. A slight hiss filled the room as the hypo emptied into the marine's body. Looking up at the Commander, "Give that a few seconds to work through his body." Before the Trill could even finish the sentence the man started to move.

For a half second the stimulant seemed to have had a very strong effect. The Marine went rigid, a mocking rictus grin pulling his lips back against his teeth as his body shivered. It was only for a moment, but it was enough for Ingram to take a half step back. Then the shackled soldier slumped, a gasping wheeze of breath whispering from his lips.

"That seemed to do a bit more than 'work through his body'," Ingram said with a raised eyebrow at Dr Kiiz. He stepped closer to the Marine and knelt down, looking over the now somewhat jittery fellow. "Who ordered you to shoot the other Starfleet personnel on the Module? Colonel Sytex?"

But again the Marine's face was looking not at Ingram, but behind him to the open stretch of the control room in the background. His face screwed up with a bevvy of emotions, his head shaking from side to side.

"I...I can't!" the Marine said, holding up his bound wrists.

"I think you'll find you can, and until you answer my questions as to what transpired here you'll remain bound by law-" Ingram began.

"I CAN'T!" he roared, shooting his hands out, and before anyone could challenge him the Marine's hands were around Ingram's throat in a tight choking grip. "I want you dead! I WANT YOU DEAD FOR THEM!" The Marine roared in a spittle-flecked roar as the momentum of the lunge carried Ingram onto the floor with the madman atop him.

With on fluid motion, Vereyn ejected the vial from the hypospray, and quickly replaced it with another one that he grabbed from his pouch. Lunging forward, the Trill pressed it to the assaulting Marine's neck and a hiss filled the room. Within a few second the Marine slumped into the Doctor's arms who laid him on the ground, "Guess there is more going on." He said as he started to scan the marine yet again.

"And to think they gave you a medical licence with keen eye of yours," Ingram growled, rubbing a hand around his neck. He sat up, looking at Axon and frowned. "Them? We've not detected any ships in orbit apart from ourselves, and other than the FM broadcast point on the planet and a few dead satellites there's no other 'them' in this system."

"I can confirm," Axon said. "There's not been anyone here since we showed up."

Moments later, the sound of a shrill whine in the distance filled the air, the distinctive sound of phaser fire lancing. Four shots, each one following the other at a different time. No uniformity to it, as though they were fired at random... and then silence once more.

Deep, laboured breathing was soon audible in the air as the form of Theylan re-emerged into the room, this time with two more marines being dragged behind him, phaser burns on their chests clearly from the rifle now slung over the Andorian's shoulder albeit in a most haphazard manner as he was supported by another member of his team. A young human with a gash wet with deep red blood visible on his right arm, but that seemed but a minor nuisance compared to the wound upon Theylan, a bite mark upon his cheek with blood pouring freely, some of his streaked on his chin. One of the deposited marines bearing a mouth streaked with blue blood streaked across his mouth, granting him even in unconsciousness a degree of viciousness.

"Doc, a little help!" barked the young man. Theylan himself looking dazed, his eyes darting about the room as though he were trying to make sense of things. The antenna upon his head twitching in all manner of directions as though trying to figure out what was going on, why his head was spinning. The face of the Andorian looking as stone-faced as ever though his eyes spoke volumes of his disorientation.

Vereyn jumped to his feet and took a couple long strides towards the Andorian and pulled out a tricorder, "Sit down Lieutenant." The Trill said as he started to scan Theylan's blue face. After the Andorian made it to the floor, Vereyn pulled out a hypo and pressed it to his neck, "This will help with the pain." Reaching back into his bag he pulled out a portable dermal regenerator. Setting it on the ground, he took more scans of the wound, "Commander. I am not sure, but I am seeing abnormalities in the Lieutenant wound." Shoot a glance at the Commander, "It may be whatever is affecting the Marines."

"Dammit," Benjamin hissed and turned away from the scene of blood and mayhem. Just once, just once he would like to have a mission involving gun totting louts end in something other than fiticuffs and phaser burns. He walked to the life support console, its displays still showing the scattered life signs of the unconscious Marines and innocents.

He placed his palm on the panel, and a biometric scanner under the glass whispered quiet affirmation.

"Recognise Ingram, Benjamin, Commander Canopus Station. Security override code Lustig Eridani Tarsis. Engage mutiny countermeasures suite, threat response level..." he said to the open air. He paused and looked to the trio of Marines. "...3 should do it. All Engineering Module personnel are to have their security clearance revoked until further notice. Initiate."

The computer made a gentle chiming sound, followed the shuddering thunk of the heavy metal locking bolts sliding into place or slamming shut. Anyone who had fallen unconscious part way in or out of a door was not going to have a good time of it. And Ingram didn't give a fig.

"There. The Modules in lockdown and we can sort the wheat from the chaff once we are back at Carpathia with the full suite of the station's medical infrastructure at our disposal," Benjie said. "Dr Kiiz, monitor our Andorian friend here. Any change from baseline norms sedate him immediately. No offence Lt th'Zohan, but your service jacket does make it seem precautions are in order."

He then turned to Axon.

"We'll secure the Module for transport, and perform the necessary survey's for booby traps once we're back at Carpathia. Charming little desert moon. Until then...as much as it pains me," and it did pain Ingram deeply to say it. "I have to thank you for the work you've done thus far. Keeping the Module secure, along with whatever percentage of its personnel aren't in a murdering mood, is an act pivitol to the safety of the Long Jump Project and the Station."

Vereyn nodded at the Captain, "Aye sir." Picking up the dermal regenerator, he closed up the wound and continued to scan the Andorian Lieutenant.

Axon hesitated for a moment. "You're welcome," he said, offering his hand to his nemesis.

"Let's hold off the glad-handing until we're sure none of this is communicable," Ingram said, eyeing the hand offered as though it might grow fangs and bite him. He reached up to touch his combadge. "=/\=Ingram to Resolute. Beam conscious personnel in my location to sickbay after initiating quarantine procedures. Though before you do, a report on the salvaging of the Support Module?=/\="

"=/\=Chief Ricci has successfully restored the Module to a stable orbit, and we are in the process of matching course and velocity to pair the Modules up for transport to Carpathia.=/\=" The Dutty Officer reported.

"Excellent," Ingram purred as the dull whine of the transport began to fill the air. "At least somethings going right today."