With help from the Exobyte’s partially repaired external sensors, Annika Hansen found her crew had reached the doors to the primary holomatrix lab. Inside, she assumed she would find a few scientists hiding behind consoles. When the lab doors revealed a lone Orion pointing a disruptor rifle at Reginald Barclay, her first reaction came quickly and put the Orion dead on the floor. “Mr. Baclay are you injured?”
“Seven, no, I’m fine. Please, check Lt. Calvin. He took a few direct hits from the disruptor.” Reg advised, moving to take a seat in a nearby chair.
“Lt. Calvin appears to be barely alive, by Borg standards.”
“Oh that can’t be good.”
“Agreed. Can you walk, Reg?”
“I’ll be fine.”
“You two, carry him to medical quickly!” Annika paused before moving on. Annika Hansen to Jacqueline Frost.
I’m here. Do you have an update? Ms. Frost inquired through the cortical node.
Lt. Calvin is in critical condition. No other officers found yet.
Understood, ma’am. Frost out.
The jaunt through the corridors was mostly empty. Reg and the officers carrying Edgar trailed behind the three officers on point. Junction after junction was the same cycle of pause, look, cover, continue. Just before the group reached the medical doors, the interior lights went to full power and the flashing red emergency lights faded off. Annika yelled from her spot in the group, “Don’t stop keep going.”
A voice chimed in overhead. “This is XO Solek of the starship Exobyte to all remaining Orion forces: You are all contained in forcefield blockades, or confined to rooms. You may notice that control is no longer routed through the command center. You will surrender your weapons quietly and without incident. It is only logical.”
“Ma’am, it appears other efforts in retaking the station have been equally met with success.”
“Agreed, Lieutenant. Hansen to Solek, what is the status of Medical?”
“Director Hansen, Medical is secured. Why do you inquire?”
“I have one critically injured male, Vulcan/Human hybrid, numerous disruptor burns to body.”
“Director, get here quickly. A station will be prepped.”
—
“But she said Vulcan/Human hybrid. It’s possible it’s not Lt. Calvin.” Summer denied as Turek and Solek scrambled to prepare a crash bed. “Oh who am I kidding.”
In a flash she had joined efforts in prepping the table for operation, obeying Turek’s directions to replicate materials and prepare medicines in hyposprays.
“Turek what’s wrong with Desmond?” Solek asked as he put the final touches on the crash cart.
“He’s a Betazoid, and you’re not suppressing your emotions. I’d wager he’s getting a hefty dose of panic and fear right now.” The three glanced over at Desmond, curled in a ball wimpering in a corner.
“Are there any chemicals known to dampen a Betazoid’s empathy and telepathy?”
“No, sir, none that I have on-hand.” Turek confessed.
“Oh we don’t have time for this.” Summer scowled as she ran to Desmond. “Des, hon, you’re going to be OK. I promise.”
The assurance was anticipated, but her full-tongue kiss was not. Turek and Solek stared at the two tac officers for a moment in a state of shock. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t see that work.”
“…Agreed.” Solek commented, looking away. Desmond and Summer rejoined with renewed confidence and started assisting with preparations.
“Sir, if I may say, you need to get your emotions in check, and quickly.” Turek advised, growing concerned for the potential breakdown of command.
“Yes, yes I do.” Solek set the last two items on the tray and sat down in the medical office. Within moments, he began focusing his breathing and meditating the intensity down to subdued levels.
There was a small breath of quiet before Annika Hansen’s security team charged through the medical doors practically throwing Lt. Edgar Calvin onto the crash cart. His body hadn’t even left the officers’ arms before Turek was scanning him with the medical tricorder. “Multiple disruptor burns to his legs and torso, low BP and minimal neural activity, possible broken ribs, definitely cracked — Get me a cortical stimulator.”
As one of the acting nurses applied the cortical stimulant, Turek administered a dose of epinephrine to encourage blood-flow. There was a labored cough, some wheezing, and finally subsiding to shallowed pained breaths. “OK we’re not out of the woods yet, get me access to the burns and his torso and get me the osteo-regenerator.”
Edgar’s tunic and shirt had been cut apart to gain access, and quickly Turek began moving the regenerator across Edgar’s torso. Turek glanced up to see Annika giving orders to her officers, and a few of them exiting Medical. She turned held her hand to her temples. After watching her come back out of the trance Turek returned to the patient and moving across the next pair of cracked ribs. “That should be the last of it.”
Indeed, Edgar’s breathing had softened and sounded much less labored. “Make sure he stays resting.”
“It appears that with some unintentional coordination, I have control over my station again. Good work securing medical and placing the station in lockdown.”
“Ma’am you should be discussing this with Ensign Solek. He’s our commanding officer at the moment.” Turek advised, returning focus to Edgar’s dirsuptor-damaged chest.
