"Slumber and the Borg: Part Two" By Narciso
::Slumber and the Borg::
Part Two: Disease of Angels
Concurrently during the events on the holodeck, on the bridge of the Adonis, the Captain is in the middle of speaking to a representative of the colony and its many inhabitants. The man on the main viewer of the Adonis is of human origin, old with a tired face and deep sullen eyes. As soon as he appears on the screen he instantly raises his voice, pleading for the assistance of the Federation. The panic within him is more than apparent. However, it is obvious that he is holding something back. The man himself is not a miner, however, he appears to be a politician that was appointed by vote.
"Captain Haou, please! We need immediate evacuation! Transport our youngest onto your ship. They must be saved!"
"Listen Representative Helmer, we can't blindly start bringing people onto the Adonis. for all we know they are infected. We have just arrived as well. We know absolutely nothing about this disease"
"But Captain!! The children do not harbor the illness! They must-they must!!... No, you are right, I fear... An... investigation... must be carried out... However I fear there is no cure Captain! And if there is, I fear we will not find it in time!"
"Yet we are here, and we are going to commence our investigation. We -will- discover what this disease is exactly, and if we can manage to do that, we might just be able to discover a cure."
"Yes Captain Haou... I know the Federation won't just let us die... But please hurry! This disease has spread like wildfire."
"We have a means to send down a team to gather samples for analysis. They will be transported down to your location in twenty minutes. They will be wearing specialized containment suits."
"We shall prepare to receive them captain. We will aid them in any way possible."
"Understood. Excuse me for a minute Representative. Ensign Avonic, close the link." The Captain stares at the now blank screen of the bridge and leans forward. He activates the intercom and calls for the away team to assemble for their mission. As he finishes giving the order, the doctor speaks through the intercom and address him.
"Captain, Sickbay here."
"Yes Dr. Reeves?"
"I have been going through and through the reports that the Da'vani II colony has sent to us sir."
"Any good news doctor?"
"Sadly none at all Captain. I've compared the information to the medical records and history banks of the Adonis, however nothing is even remotely close. While there are sleeping illnesses, nothing resembles this."
"I see. The away team will be collecting samples for analysis."
"Oh captain, did you receive my report that it may be air-born? Having an away team go to the planet surface-"
"Worry not doctor, we have taken safety measures to ensure no one contracts the disease. In the meantime, have Engineering aid you in creating a save environment to perform the analysis. That means that you'll have to beam down to the surface too doctor."
"Understood captain. I hope this will be a quick case."
"You and I both Reeves. You and I both..." Finishing his conversation with the doctor, The Captain signals over to Ensign Avonic, who then reopens the link with Da'vani II. "Representative Helmer. I need you to explain this disease more to me. Everything and anything possible."
The old man known as Helmer appears on the screen and has his arms folded, a pondering look on his face plainly visible through his wise appearance. "Captain... what I have to tell you has all been given in the reports I sent."
"Be that as it may Representative. Start from the beginning."
"Alright Captain... Let's see..."
"Excuse me Representative Helmer." A woman appears on the main view beside Helmer, after having walked up to his side. She looks to be a woman in her mid thirties. Her hair is well kept, and her glass give her the look of a vast intellectual. Her labcoat gives her away as a scientist, one of many who came to Da'vani II's various research laboratories. "Allow me to explain the disease."
"Ah, Captain Haou. This is Doctor Fallist, the chief researcher of lab six. She has been doing her best researching the disease once it sprang up and began plaguing us."
"Alright, Dr. Fallist, please go on with all you know."
"Needless to say Captain, I have learned quite a bit, however nothing that has truly been beneficial. The disease itself first appeared a month ago. At first it seemed to be a sleeping disorder that was similar to the "Sleeping Beauty" cases, the 'Klein-Levin Syndrome' from Earth. At first were were surprised, but it made sense that it would resurface. However, unlike the KL Syndrome, those infected never awoke, nor did they stir in their sleep. Even their bodily functions stopped entirely. Yes, from that all of those infected died from natural causes. Their bodies just shut down without a fight." Pausing for a moment, the doctor pressed a combination onto her panel, and into view came a diagram of a human being's anatomy, focusing on the main organs. The view of the doctor remained as the main viewer was now a split screen view.
"You see Captain," the doctor continued, "the people who become infected by this disease, become drowsy to the point that they just fall asleep, naturally. They then begin the five stages of sleep, however they never reach the last stage, which is REM, Rapid-Eye-Movement. Interestingly enough, they progress through the first stage normally enough, and can even be awoken for a short period of time. And no, after a while of being awoken they will finally fall asleep, even with the introduction of drugs to stimulate them awake. During the second stage is when things become interesting." the diagram zooms in to show the brain only. Waves can be seen emitting originating from the brain and out to the neck and beyond. Occasionally, a rapid burst of waves are seen. "This is the stage were Sleep Spindles occur. This is a normal pattern showing, Captain. Now, watch as I put in the pattern for one who is infected." The Sleep Spindles appear more frequently and erratically. "As you can see Captain, the pattern is far from average. In fact, this is more suitable for a 'psychotic mind'. Now going onto the third stage, Delta Waves should begin to appear, slowly. However in this case, they never do. Which is impossible. Delta Waves have no exception and are always present. This is the stage when a person enters 'Deep Sleep', and Delta Waves are a sign of this, as they signal that the brain is in a rested state, all other functions are 'asleep'. It is then in stage four that the brain produces only Delta Waves exclusively to a high degree. It is then that we enter the fifth and last stage, REM. for some reason, those infected never enter REM Sleep. In fact, they seem to never enter the third or fourth stage of sleep, and even the second stage is troubling. by all accounts, they are not even truly asleep. from this point on, after the patient has been infected, their internal organs all begin to shut down slowly. And that is what ultimately kills them. The brain and the central nervous system itself are the two last organs to shut off, simultaneously with the heart, which slows down steadily until it finally comes to a halt. But the people affected have the... most serene look on their faces. We also believe that they experience no pain. Because of that, we have come to call this disease, the Disease of Angels."
The split screen image becomes a single one as the diagram disappears and the doctor herself appears, alone as Representative Helmer has disappeared. Behind her however, the away team can be seen setting up their equipment. The doctor herself pays them no mind, and stays looking at the Captain. "We have tried everything imaginable Captain Haou. All we can do is evacuate those who are not infected, and quickly."
"I see... However, evacuation will be impossible for now. At least until we find a way to identify the disease itself. The only way we can tell that someone is infected, is by the symptoms they show."
"But Captain! Those without the symptoms are perfectly healthy! We believe that the moment you show the symptoms is the moment you contract the disease."
"Is there any proof? Any research at all to back that hypothesis up Doctor?"
"...No Captain. Just our... Gut instinct."
"Then we have no choice but to continue on with this investigation. I shall be checking up on you all shortly, Haou out." As he finishes his conversation, Captain Haou stands from the command seat and enters his ready room, giving the Conn to his Second Officer, as the First Officer is also a member of the away team. He sits at his desk and begins to once again review the current reports from Da'vani II.
The away team has just beamed down to the surface, appearing behind Dr. Fallist as she speaks to captain Haou. All four members, wearing their containment suits, scramble with a professional haste to set up their equipment that was beamed down along with them. within a matter of seconds they have already unpack the majority of their things and are already prepared to begin their testing.
"Ensign Geroff. Do we have the samples?" Called an authoritative voice.
"Just got them Commander." Answered Marietta as she is handled several small, closed, petri dishes from an assistant. She walks the few steps needed and places them on the table.
"Oh, thank you Ensign Geroff."
"No problem Doctor. Commander, Permission to take Cherrosk and preform analysis on those infected."
"Permission granted Ensign. Cherrosk, with Geroff."
"Yes sir, Commander." Spoke Cherrosk as he walked up towards Marietta and jokingly patted her on her rear.
"Ah! Cherrosk, stop fooling around." Marietta scolded as she reached for her tricorder and began to run analysis on the nearest person, who eyed her questioningly with a slightly insulted look.
"I'm not infected."
"How can you say that with such confidence?" She continued to move the tricorder until her wrist was grabbed harshly by the man she analyzing, causing her to gasp.
"Geroff! Hey, you! Let her go!" Shouted Cherrosk as he charged up and grabbed the guys' arm, prying him off of Marietta. "Commander!"
"What is going on here!?" Shouted the Commander as he turned and took a step towards them.
"This man attacked Ensign Geroff sir!" Cherrosk instantly had the mans' arms pinned behind his back in arrest, waiting for the proper orders.
"Ensign, is this true?"
"... Yes sir." Voiced Marietta as she rubbed her wrist from the pain inflicted. she was more upset about being caught off guard the way she was. "He claimed he was not infected and grabbed me in an effort to get the tricorder away from him."
"Excuse me, what is going on here?" The woman who had been speaking to Captain Haou appeared and had a stern look on her face. "Commander, I thought the Adonis and her crew were here to provide assistance. Not to harass us."
"Doctor, the one harassing is your man. Not the other way around." Spoke the Commander firmly.
"He said he was perfectly Healthy. All of us in here are."
"Doctor Fallist, how can you speak so surely of this?"
"Commander, we have more than enough reason to suspect this as truth."
"...Doctor is there any information you are not disclosing to us?"
"Why, none at all Commander. We have been giving you all the information we have."
"I see... Geroff, Cherrosk. Head outside and gather some environmental samples."
"Commander we have provided you with such samples already."
"I know that doctor. I believe we need... a second sample. Be quick you two."
"Aye commander. Marietta, let's go."
"STOP!" Shouted Dr. Fallist. "You cannot leave this building. We are.. air locked for our protection. Opening any of the doors will result in contamination."
"... Doctor, we need to have a serious conversation."
"Commander?"
"What do you truly know about this disease?"
"I... I told you everything I know. In fact I just finished telling your Captain-"
"-Yeah, yeah. Disease of Angels. I heard it all. What other information do you have?"
"Commander I don't understand..."
"You know that something here doesn't connect. That explanation you gave the Captain was more than detailed... You know more than you gave."
"I... I..."
"Be calm Carrie." The voice of Representative Helmer could be heard as he walked onto the scene, stepped beside Doctor Fallist, placing a hand on her back to reassure her. "Commander there s nothing more we can tell you."
"And why not?"
"We are done here Commander." Taking a pause Representative Helmer gave the Doctor a nod, sending her off and out of sight. He walked towards the Commander and spoke in a whisper. "Ask your superiors Commander. And I do not mean the Captain... Do not mention me. I will not aid you. No one here will..." With those words the Representative turned and left abruptly, leaving the away team to their own devices.
The Commander had an eyebrow raised as his mind processed everything that had been happening. He had a strong hunch that something was being left out, and it was just confirmed. After a moment he turned towards the away team and looked to them, still thinking. Soon he broke the silence by calling for the Adonis. "Calintz to Haou. Captain are you there?"
In his ready room, the captain was once again reviewing the information given by Starfleet. No matter how many times he read it, there seemed to be holes in the information. More and more appeared as he read through them, no matter how cleverly covered they were. As the voice of the commander filled the room, the Captain tapped on his badge to confirm the link. "I'm here Number One. what is it?"
"Captain we have been met with some... minor hostility. We need to contact Starfleet right away. There is missing information that we were not aware of prior."
"I agree Number One."
"Captain?"
"I have been reading and rereading the reports given to us. The more I go through it, the more holes I find in the said information. Have you discovered anything solid?"
"Sadly no Captain. But my... source, can be trusted. I believe Starfleet will tell us all if we work this right."
"Agreed. Prepare to beam aboard."
"Not yet Captain. We still have work to do down here. Don't worry, we're save and we are not expecting anymore hostility."
"Understood Number One. I will contact Starfleet and inform you on what I have discovered."
"Roger that Captain. Calintz out."
As the link was cut off, the Captain stood from his desk and exited his ready room, entering onto the bridge of the Adonis. As he took his seat he spoke to his second in command, who relinquished the seat as the Captain appeared. "Lieutenant, connect us to Starfleet, priority channel."
"Yes sir. Opening channel now... Established."
"Adonis, how goes the mission?"
"Commodore Protess. Where is the Admiral?"
"Admiral Jeir is occupied with other matters. I am here."
"Fine. We need the missing information regarding the disease on Da'vani II."
"Missing information, Captain?"
"Yes. Missing."
"Captain, you must be misin-"
"We are not misinformed. We need the rest of the data."
"Captain have you beamed any survivors aboard?"
"No, of course not. They-"
"-Beam the survivors aboard Captain. We have another ship on its way, escorting a transport ship for the continued evacuation. The ones you will beam up are the top priorities."
"You mean the politicians, such as Representative Helmer?"
"No Captain Haou. The top priority survivors are the chief researchers."
"... I see. We will not be receiving anyone aboard the Adonis at this time."
"Are you defying direct orders Captain?"
"Of course not. I said at this time. Once we are positive that no one is infected, we will start taking them in."
"Those within the air locked environments are disease free Captain. We are more than positive about it."
"... How can you be so sure Commodore?"
"That is all Captain. Starfleet out."
"Commodore! COMMODORE!!"
"It is no use Captain. They have already cut the link."
"Hmph..." The Captain leaned back onto his chair and took a moment to think. His eyes stayed glued to the main viewer until he rose a hand to tap his badge. "Number One, come in."
"Yes Captain?"
"Number One, your status."
"We have been testing our samples, the given ones and our own. We might have found something. The Doctor believes it to be a man-made, compounded, substance. And it is appearing only in the samples we ourselves gathered."
"Have you been able to identify it?"
"Negative Captain. Nothing matches it in our records. But I have a hunch that the scientists down here know more than they are saying."
"Number One... I have that same hunch. Find Representative Helmer."
"You read my mind Captain."
"Thought so. Seems these hunches are paying off. Also, Number One, stay together."
"Roger that Captain. Away team out."
With that said the Captain rose up from his seat and walked into his ready room, once more giving the Conn to his second officer. Once he sat down at his desk he asked the computer to locate Counselor Heliree. It responded in the traditional, female voice, "The Counselor is currently on holodeck two." The captain seemed to glance over to his panel and took in the ships' time. He nodded silently to himself and picked up a nearby PADD, writing up a personal report. The Counselor still had time left, three hours actually, before he needed to report to the Captain. Yet the Captain knew that he would appear early. Narciso always does.
Back with the away team, Commander Calintz and his three man crew were continuing their experimentation. However, once the Commander spoke to the Captain, they all stopped and began to search for the Representative. It was not hard to find Helmer, as all it took was to walk around a corner and into his office, pointed out by those they passed without argument. Once inside his office, the Commander approached his desk, speaking for everyone.
"Representative Helmer. All of it. Now."
"Excuse me?"
"What is actually happening here on Da'vani II."
"... A disease-"
"-ENOUGH!"
"... I suspect that you found something that would permit such an outburst Commander."
"We know less than we would like."
"Don't we all Commander... Alright. As you know, Da'vani II started as a mining operation. It instantly flourished and quickly became home to many various labs dedicated to improving the lives of all citizens of the Federation. Convenience appliances and things of the like. It is a lie." The Representative leaned forward and placed his elbows on his desk, folding his hands just in front of his chin. "Da'vani II is home to a rather new branch of research."
"What research is that?"
"The Borg."
"What?"
"The Borg. One of the most dangerous threats to the Federation. To life everywhere. So we established our home of operations here, on a quiet planet, under the guise of mining -which does happen of course- and civil labs. Of course, no one outside the circle knows. In fact, the vast majority of the populace here on Da'vani II is unaware of the truth. Ask them and they will honestly answer by saying that Da'vani II is a mining planet."
"And the truth is what Representative?"
"The truth..." The old man leaned back and spun ninety degrees in his chair, standing up and walking towards the portrait of a five person family, Helmer being one of the five. "The truth, Commander, is far more... intriguing. We researched many, many things."
"Weaponry." Marietta cut in.
"No my dear lady. Nothing that could be used against us... Or so we believed." Helmer turned and faced the away team, the Commander standing before the desk, Marietta to his right by a potted plant, the Doctor standing behind the commander, and Cherrosk leaning against the wall by the door, just in case things got ugly fast. All of them were still wearing their containment suits. "You see... We..."
"What Representative. Give us a flat out answer."
"The Disease of Angels..."
"That is the weapon?"
"No... it is the side effect. One that surprised us all..."
"How did it come about?"
"Our research worked in a biological-mechanical nature. We discovered a way to disrupt the collective consciousness of the Borg."
"You can't possibly mean..."
"Yes. Exactly! We found a way to severe the link, at least temporarily. This would disable the entire collective. Imagine it... If this was used on a Borg ship, it would be rendered entirely useless and open. We even have reason to believe that it would destroy their instant ability to adapt to frequencies. The potential was immeasurable."
"What happened?"
"The disruptor worked in all the testings, simulations, and so on. So we finally received approval to actually build it. Doing so, we even discovered a way to heighten the range of the disruptor waves. We were all amazed by the distance it could travel. The Fallist Disruptor was a major success."
"Fallist Disruptor? You mean-"
"Yes. Dr. Fallist is the one who designed and created it. All of it comes from her mind, her hard work and vast effort."
"You still have not explained how the Disease of Angels came about."
"Yes... As I said, the machine is impossible to be used against us. Meaning that it has absolutely no effect on the minds of humans or other humanoid species. But... There was no way we could have seen it coming."
"Seen what, Representative?"
"The Disruptor Waves... They caused a massive, unforeseen, effect on the environmental systems all around the planet. It somehow altered the system. We still do not know how exactly, but we do know that a compound was being released into the air."
"The compound we found."
"Yes, exactly. It somehow acts as an extreme calming agent. But one can describe more as being closer to carbon monoxide. There was no 'first victim' of the disease. All at once, thousands of reports were flooding in about people falling asleep and never waking up again. The first symptoms are similar to that of depression, a lack of caring for anything, even eating. The drowsiness comes afterwards. then they would fall asleep... anywhere. People fell asleep during their jobs, in the middle of the streets, everywhere. Thankfully we were able to place ourselves in these air locked structures."
"And all those outside are left to die, the truth covered up. But why?"
"The cover up? For exactly what the lady said prior: Weaponry. The Fallist Disruptor has no possible way to be used, besides against the Borg. But the Disease of Angels... That is a universal weapon against all humanoids. The Federation wants to keep it a secret, on the basis that others will try to use it should they be able to harness the disease through the compound."
"All it would take is them getting to the environmental systems, and boom." Said Cherrosk as he gestured an explosion with his hands. "It would be checkmate."
"Exactly. Thus the secret on the matter."
"Wait. Is the Adonis is danger?"
"No, she has not been here long enough and I believe her to be just outside the range of the Disruptor itself, regardless."
Without a warning, the doors to the Representatives office slid open and a scientist burst into the room, looking desperate. "Representative! It's the Emitter!!"
"Silence you fool!" Snapped Helmer.
"But Representative!! She's overloading!! They have picked up on the Emitter signal and we believe that they are approaching it!"
"What!? What happened to the containment field!?"
"Sir, it was not strong enough to block the signal! We've received a long range transmission from them!"
"Is the Disruptor online?"
"No Sir!! It was shut off for our exams!"
"Get it back online you idiot!"
"Sir, Dr. Fallist is working as fast as she can! She says that the disruptor will be online and functioning properly in three weeks!"
"THREE WEEKS!?!?
"Yes sir! It was taken offline and parts were dismantled for the investigation! It will take that long to put it all back together! It is a very complex system!"
"Representative Helmer!! What is going on here!? What else have you kept from us!?" Exclaimed Commander Calintz, obviously upset.
"Go aid them. Get everyone you can muster to aid in the reconstruction of the Disruptor..."
"Yes sir!" With that the scientist ran out of the room faster than he had entered.
"Representative, we are waiting."
"Hmph. We have simultaneously... Invented a 'beacon' for the Borg."
"A beacon?"
"Yes... An emitter that sends long range signals similar to a Borg S.O.S. It is to lure them in so that the Disrupter can be used against them."
"You're all mad..."
"Mad? Madness is not the word Commander. The Disruptor has no limit on how many Borg it can effect at once. Using it 'en masse' is a faster means to an end."
"Yeah, and end for us all."
"The Emitter was contained-"
"Apparently not!"
"Lower your voice Commander. I will not tolerate it. We still have time before the Borg show up."
"Three Weeks?"
"... We have sufficient time to restore the Disruptor to a working condition. It does not need to be at a hundred percent capability. The USS Adonis-"
"-Has been set up into a battle. I'm alerting the Captain. Away team to the Adonis." As the Commander called for the Adonis, he was only responded with silence.
"The emitter is blocking the communication Commander."
"There is no way to warn the Adonis!? BULLSHIT!" Shouted Cherrosk as he lunged forward and slammed his fist onto the Representative's desk. Marietta reached forward and grabbed him by his shoulders, pulling him back. Cherrosk had children with him, and they were on the Adonis now.
"Calm down Cherrosk. Commander, Is there any way we can go to the Adonis? A shuttle perhaps?"
"Good thinking Marietta. Representative-"
"-We have no such shuttles."
"Mon Deus... How do you plan to escape the planet shout things go sour?"
"Escape is not an option for us. Neither is failure." Said Representative Helmer as he returned to his seat.
"Is there a way to replace the containment fields around the emitter?"
"No Commander. If the fields failed, then they are no longer in existence. The system was blown and destroyed as soon as the emitter waves broke free. You heard him, the system overloaded. Also, take off those ridiculous containment suits. You are perfectly fine in here... Wait how did you find the compound?"
"It was present in the sample we had."
"Impossible. We gave you samples that did not have the compound."
"We took samples of our own."
"WHAT!?"
"... We took samples of our own. They are locked in the Doctors workspace."
"Yes, all the samples are closed off by a force field." Spoke the Doctor.
"... Should those fields fail, then the Borg is not our only threat..."
~End Part Two~
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Part Two: Disease of Angels
Concurrently during the events on the holodeck, on the bridge of the Adonis, the Captain is in the middle of speaking to a representative of the colony and its many inhabitants. The man on the main viewer of the Adonis is of human origin, old with a tired face and deep sullen eyes. As soon as he appears on the screen he instantly raises his voice, pleading for the assistance of the Federation. The panic within him is more than apparent. However, it is obvious that he is holding something back. The man himself is not a miner, however, he appears to be a politician that was appointed by vote.
"Captain Haou, please! We need immediate evacuation! Transport our youngest onto your ship. They must be saved!"
"Listen Representative Helmer, we can't blindly start bringing people onto the Adonis. for all we know they are infected. We have just arrived as well. We know absolutely nothing about this disease"
"But Captain!! The children do not harbor the illness! They must-they must!!... No, you are right, I fear... An... investigation... must be carried out... However I fear there is no cure Captain! And if there is, I fear we will not find it in time!"
"Yet we are here, and we are going to commence our investigation. We -will- discover what this disease is exactly, and if we can manage to do that, we might just be able to discover a cure."
"Yes Captain Haou... I know the Federation won't just let us die... But please hurry! This disease has spread like wildfire."
"We have a means to send down a team to gather samples for analysis. They will be transported down to your location in twenty minutes. They will be wearing specialized containment suits."
"We shall prepare to receive them captain. We will aid them in any way possible."
"Understood. Excuse me for a minute Representative. Ensign Avonic, close the link." The Captain stares at the now blank screen of the bridge and leans forward. He activates the intercom and calls for the away team to assemble for their mission. As he finishes giving the order, the doctor speaks through the intercom and address him.
"Captain, Sickbay here."
"Yes Dr. Reeves?"
"I have been going through and through the reports that the Da'vani II colony has sent to us sir."
"Any good news doctor?"
"Sadly none at all Captain. I've compared the information to the medical records and history banks of the Adonis, however nothing is even remotely close. While there are sleeping illnesses, nothing resembles this."
"I see. The away team will be collecting samples for analysis."
"Oh captain, did you receive my report that it may be air-born? Having an away team go to the planet surface-"
"Worry not doctor, we have taken safety measures to ensure no one contracts the disease. In the meantime, have Engineering aid you in creating a save environment to perform the analysis. That means that you'll have to beam down to the surface too doctor."
"Understood captain. I hope this will be a quick case."
"You and I both Reeves. You and I both..." Finishing his conversation with the doctor, The Captain signals over to Ensign Avonic, who then reopens the link with Da'vani II. "Representative Helmer. I need you to explain this disease more to me. Everything and anything possible."
The old man known as Helmer appears on the screen and has his arms folded, a pondering look on his face plainly visible through his wise appearance. "Captain... what I have to tell you has all been given in the reports I sent."
"Be that as it may Representative. Start from the beginning."
"Alright Captain... Let's see..."
"Excuse me Representative Helmer." A woman appears on the main view beside Helmer, after having walked up to his side. She looks to be a woman in her mid thirties. Her hair is well kept, and her glass give her the look of a vast intellectual. Her labcoat gives her away as a scientist, one of many who came to Da'vani II's various research laboratories. "Allow me to explain the disease."
"Ah, Captain Haou. This is Doctor Fallist, the chief researcher of lab six. She has been doing her best researching the disease once it sprang up and began plaguing us."
"Alright, Dr. Fallist, please go on with all you know."
"Needless to say Captain, I have learned quite a bit, however nothing that has truly been beneficial. The disease itself first appeared a month ago. At first it seemed to be a sleeping disorder that was similar to the "Sleeping Beauty" cases, the 'Klein-Levin Syndrome' from Earth. At first were were surprised, but it made sense that it would resurface. However, unlike the KL Syndrome, those infected never awoke, nor did they stir in their sleep. Even their bodily functions stopped entirely. Yes, from that all of those infected died from natural causes. Their bodies just shut down without a fight." Pausing for a moment, the doctor pressed a combination onto her panel, and into view came a diagram of a human being's anatomy, focusing on the main organs. The view of the doctor remained as the main viewer was now a split screen view.
"You see Captain," the doctor continued, "the people who become infected by this disease, become drowsy to the point that they just fall asleep, naturally. They then begin the five stages of sleep, however they never reach the last stage, which is REM, Rapid-Eye-Movement. Interestingly enough, they progress through the first stage normally enough, and can even be awoken for a short period of time. And no, after a while of being awoken they will finally fall asleep, even with the introduction of drugs to stimulate them awake. During the second stage is when things become interesting." the diagram zooms in to show the brain only. Waves can be seen emitting originating from the brain and out to the neck and beyond. Occasionally, a rapid burst of waves are seen. "This is the stage were Sleep Spindles occur. This is a normal pattern showing, Captain. Now, watch as I put in the pattern for one who is infected." The Sleep Spindles appear more frequently and erratically. "As you can see Captain, the pattern is far from average. In fact, this is more suitable for a 'psychotic mind'. Now going onto the third stage, Delta Waves should begin to appear, slowly. However in this case, they never do. Which is impossible. Delta Waves have no exception and are always present. This is the stage when a person enters 'Deep Sleep', and Delta Waves are a sign of this, as they signal that the brain is in a rested state, all other functions are 'asleep'. It is then in stage four that the brain produces only Delta Waves exclusively to a high degree. It is then that we enter the fifth and last stage, REM. for some reason, those infected never enter REM Sleep. In fact, they seem to never enter the third or fourth stage of sleep, and even the second stage is troubling. by all accounts, they are not even truly asleep. from this point on, after the patient has been infected, their internal organs all begin to shut down slowly. And that is what ultimately kills them. The brain and the central nervous system itself are the two last organs to shut off, simultaneously with the heart, which slows down steadily until it finally comes to a halt. But the people affected have the... most serene look on their faces. We also believe that they experience no pain. Because of that, we have come to call this disease, the Disease of Angels."
The split screen image becomes a single one as the diagram disappears and the doctor herself appears, alone as Representative Helmer has disappeared. Behind her however, the away team can be seen setting up their equipment. The doctor herself pays them no mind, and stays looking at the Captain. "We have tried everything imaginable Captain Haou. All we can do is evacuate those who are not infected, and quickly."
"I see... However, evacuation will be impossible for now. At least until we find a way to identify the disease itself. The only way we can tell that someone is infected, is by the symptoms they show."
"But Captain! Those without the symptoms are perfectly healthy! We believe that the moment you show the symptoms is the moment you contract the disease."
"Is there any proof? Any research at all to back that hypothesis up Doctor?"
"...No Captain. Just our... Gut instinct."
"Then we have no choice but to continue on with this investigation. I shall be checking up on you all shortly, Haou out." As he finishes his conversation, Captain Haou stands from the command seat and enters his ready room, giving the Conn to his Second Officer, as the First Officer is also a member of the away team. He sits at his desk and begins to once again review the current reports from Da'vani II.
The away team has just beamed down to the surface, appearing behind Dr. Fallist as she speaks to captain Haou. All four members, wearing their containment suits, scramble with a professional haste to set up their equipment that was beamed down along with them. within a matter of seconds they have already unpack the majority of their things and are already prepared to begin their testing.
"Ensign Geroff. Do we have the samples?" Called an authoritative voice.
"Just got them Commander." Answered Marietta as she is handled several small, closed, petri dishes from an assistant. She walks the few steps needed and places them on the table.
"Oh, thank you Ensign Geroff."
"No problem Doctor. Commander, Permission to take Cherrosk and preform analysis on those infected."
"Permission granted Ensign. Cherrosk, with Geroff."
"Yes sir, Commander." Spoke Cherrosk as he walked up towards Marietta and jokingly patted her on her rear.
"Ah! Cherrosk, stop fooling around." Marietta scolded as she reached for her tricorder and began to run analysis on the nearest person, who eyed her questioningly with a slightly insulted look.
"I'm not infected."
"How can you say that with such confidence?" She continued to move the tricorder until her wrist was grabbed harshly by the man she analyzing, causing her to gasp.
"Geroff! Hey, you! Let her go!" Shouted Cherrosk as he charged up and grabbed the guys' arm, prying him off of Marietta. "Commander!"
"What is going on here!?" Shouted the Commander as he turned and took a step towards them.
"This man attacked Ensign Geroff sir!" Cherrosk instantly had the mans' arms pinned behind his back in arrest, waiting for the proper orders.
"Ensign, is this true?"
"... Yes sir." Voiced Marietta as she rubbed her wrist from the pain inflicted. she was more upset about being caught off guard the way she was. "He claimed he was not infected and grabbed me in an effort to get the tricorder away from him."
"Excuse me, what is going on here?" The woman who had been speaking to Captain Haou appeared and had a stern look on her face. "Commander, I thought the Adonis and her crew were here to provide assistance. Not to harass us."
"Doctor, the one harassing is your man. Not the other way around." Spoke the Commander firmly.
"He said he was perfectly Healthy. All of us in here are."
"Doctor Fallist, how can you speak so surely of this?"
"Commander, we have more than enough reason to suspect this as truth."
"...Doctor is there any information you are not disclosing to us?"
"Why, none at all Commander. We have been giving you all the information we have."
"I see... Geroff, Cherrosk. Head outside and gather some environmental samples."
"Commander we have provided you with such samples already."
"I know that doctor. I believe we need... a second sample. Be quick you two."
"Aye commander. Marietta, let's go."
"STOP!" Shouted Dr. Fallist. "You cannot leave this building. We are.. air locked for our protection. Opening any of the doors will result in contamination."
"... Doctor, we need to have a serious conversation."
"Commander?"
"What do you truly know about this disease?"
"I... I told you everything I know. In fact I just finished telling your Captain-"
"-Yeah, yeah. Disease of Angels. I heard it all. What other information do you have?"
"Commander I don't understand..."
"You know that something here doesn't connect. That explanation you gave the Captain was more than detailed... You know more than you gave."
"I... I..."
"Be calm Carrie." The voice of Representative Helmer could be heard as he walked onto the scene, stepped beside Doctor Fallist, placing a hand on her back to reassure her. "Commander there s nothing more we can tell you."
"And why not?"
"We are done here Commander." Taking a pause Representative Helmer gave the Doctor a nod, sending her off and out of sight. He walked towards the Commander and spoke in a whisper. "Ask your superiors Commander. And I do not mean the Captain... Do not mention me. I will not aid you. No one here will..." With those words the Representative turned and left abruptly, leaving the away team to their own devices.
The Commander had an eyebrow raised as his mind processed everything that had been happening. He had a strong hunch that something was being left out, and it was just confirmed. After a moment he turned towards the away team and looked to them, still thinking. Soon he broke the silence by calling for the Adonis. "Calintz to Haou. Captain are you there?"
In his ready room, the captain was once again reviewing the information given by Starfleet. No matter how many times he read it, there seemed to be holes in the information. More and more appeared as he read through them, no matter how cleverly covered they were. As the voice of the commander filled the room, the Captain tapped on his badge to confirm the link. "I'm here Number One. what is it?"
"Captain we have been met with some... minor hostility. We need to contact Starfleet right away. There is missing information that we were not aware of prior."
"I agree Number One."
"Captain?"
"I have been reading and rereading the reports given to us. The more I go through it, the more holes I find in the said information. Have you discovered anything solid?"
"Sadly no Captain. But my... source, can be trusted. I believe Starfleet will tell us all if we work this right."
"Agreed. Prepare to beam aboard."
"Not yet Captain. We still have work to do down here. Don't worry, we're save and we are not expecting anymore hostility."
"Understood Number One. I will contact Starfleet and inform you on what I have discovered."
"Roger that Captain. Calintz out."
As the link was cut off, the Captain stood from his desk and exited his ready room, entering onto the bridge of the Adonis. As he took his seat he spoke to his second in command, who relinquished the seat as the Captain appeared. "Lieutenant, connect us to Starfleet, priority channel."
"Yes sir. Opening channel now... Established."
"Adonis, how goes the mission?"
"Commodore Protess. Where is the Admiral?"
"Admiral Jeir is occupied with other matters. I am here."
"Fine. We need the missing information regarding the disease on Da'vani II."
"Missing information, Captain?"
"Yes. Missing."
"Captain, you must be misin-"
"We are not misinformed. We need the rest of the data."
"Captain have you beamed any survivors aboard?"
"No, of course not. They-"
"-Beam the survivors aboard Captain. We have another ship on its way, escorting a transport ship for the continued evacuation. The ones you will beam up are the top priorities."
"You mean the politicians, such as Representative Helmer?"
"No Captain Haou. The top priority survivors are the chief researchers."
"... I see. We will not be receiving anyone aboard the Adonis at this time."
"Are you defying direct orders Captain?"
"Of course not. I said at this time. Once we are positive that no one is infected, we will start taking them in."
"Those within the air locked environments are disease free Captain. We are more than positive about it."
"... How can you be so sure Commodore?"
"That is all Captain. Starfleet out."
"Commodore! COMMODORE!!"
"It is no use Captain. They have already cut the link."
"Hmph..." The Captain leaned back onto his chair and took a moment to think. His eyes stayed glued to the main viewer until he rose a hand to tap his badge. "Number One, come in."
"Yes Captain?"
"Number One, your status."
"We have been testing our samples, the given ones and our own. We might have found something. The Doctor believes it to be a man-made, compounded, substance. And it is appearing only in the samples we ourselves gathered."
"Have you been able to identify it?"
"Negative Captain. Nothing matches it in our records. But I have a hunch that the scientists down here know more than they are saying."
"Number One... I have that same hunch. Find Representative Helmer."
"You read my mind Captain."
"Thought so. Seems these hunches are paying off. Also, Number One, stay together."
"Roger that Captain. Away team out."
With that said the Captain rose up from his seat and walked into his ready room, once more giving the Conn to his second officer. Once he sat down at his desk he asked the computer to locate Counselor Heliree. It responded in the traditional, female voice, "The Counselor is currently on holodeck two." The captain seemed to glance over to his panel and took in the ships' time. He nodded silently to himself and picked up a nearby PADD, writing up a personal report. The Counselor still had time left, three hours actually, before he needed to report to the Captain. Yet the Captain knew that he would appear early. Narciso always does.
Back with the away team, Commander Calintz and his three man crew were continuing their experimentation. However, once the Commander spoke to the Captain, they all stopped and began to search for the Representative. It was not hard to find Helmer, as all it took was to walk around a corner and into his office, pointed out by those they passed without argument. Once inside his office, the Commander approached his desk, speaking for everyone.
"Representative Helmer. All of it. Now."
"Excuse me?"
"What is actually happening here on Da'vani II."
"... A disease-"
"-ENOUGH!"
"... I suspect that you found something that would permit such an outburst Commander."
"We know less than we would like."
"Don't we all Commander... Alright. As you know, Da'vani II started as a mining operation. It instantly flourished and quickly became home to many various labs dedicated to improving the lives of all citizens of the Federation. Convenience appliances and things of the like. It is a lie." The Representative leaned forward and placed his elbows on his desk, folding his hands just in front of his chin. "Da'vani II is home to a rather new branch of research."
"What research is that?"
"The Borg."
"What?"
"The Borg. One of the most dangerous threats to the Federation. To life everywhere. So we established our home of operations here, on a quiet planet, under the guise of mining -which does happen of course- and civil labs. Of course, no one outside the circle knows. In fact, the vast majority of the populace here on Da'vani II is unaware of the truth. Ask them and they will honestly answer by saying that Da'vani II is a mining planet."
"And the truth is what Representative?"
"The truth..." The old man leaned back and spun ninety degrees in his chair, standing up and walking towards the portrait of a five person family, Helmer being one of the five. "The truth, Commander, is far more... intriguing. We researched many, many things."
"Weaponry." Marietta cut in.
"No my dear lady. Nothing that could be used against us... Or so we believed." Helmer turned and faced the away team, the Commander standing before the desk, Marietta to his right by a potted plant, the Doctor standing behind the commander, and Cherrosk leaning against the wall by the door, just in case things got ugly fast. All of them were still wearing their containment suits. "You see... We..."
"What Representative. Give us a flat out answer."
"The Disease of Angels..."
"That is the weapon?"
"No... it is the side effect. One that surprised us all..."
"How did it come about?"
"Our research worked in a biological-mechanical nature. We discovered a way to disrupt the collective consciousness of the Borg."
"You can't possibly mean..."
"Yes. Exactly! We found a way to severe the link, at least temporarily. This would disable the entire collective. Imagine it... If this was used on a Borg ship, it would be rendered entirely useless and open. We even have reason to believe that it would destroy their instant ability to adapt to frequencies. The potential was immeasurable."
"What happened?"
"The disruptor worked in all the testings, simulations, and so on. So we finally received approval to actually build it. Doing so, we even discovered a way to heighten the range of the disruptor waves. We were all amazed by the distance it could travel. The Fallist Disruptor was a major success."
"Fallist Disruptor? You mean-"
"Yes. Dr. Fallist is the one who designed and created it. All of it comes from her mind, her hard work and vast effort."
"You still have not explained how the Disease of Angels came about."
"Yes... As I said, the machine is impossible to be used against us. Meaning that it has absolutely no effect on the minds of humans or other humanoid species. But... There was no way we could have seen it coming."
"Seen what, Representative?"
"The Disruptor Waves... They caused a massive, unforeseen, effect on the environmental systems all around the planet. It somehow altered the system. We still do not know how exactly, but we do know that a compound was being released into the air."
"The compound we found."
"Yes, exactly. It somehow acts as an extreme calming agent. But one can describe more as being closer to carbon monoxide. There was no 'first victim' of the disease. All at once, thousands of reports were flooding in about people falling asleep and never waking up again. The first symptoms are similar to that of depression, a lack of caring for anything, even eating. The drowsiness comes afterwards. then they would fall asleep... anywhere. People fell asleep during their jobs, in the middle of the streets, everywhere. Thankfully we were able to place ourselves in these air locked structures."
"And all those outside are left to die, the truth covered up. But why?"
"The cover up? For exactly what the lady said prior: Weaponry. The Fallist Disruptor has no possible way to be used, besides against the Borg. But the Disease of Angels... That is a universal weapon against all humanoids. The Federation wants to keep it a secret, on the basis that others will try to use it should they be able to harness the disease through the compound."
"All it would take is them getting to the environmental systems, and boom." Said Cherrosk as he gestured an explosion with his hands. "It would be checkmate."
"Exactly. Thus the secret on the matter."
"Wait. Is the Adonis is danger?"
"No, she has not been here long enough and I believe her to be just outside the range of the Disruptor itself, regardless."
Without a warning, the doors to the Representatives office slid open and a scientist burst into the room, looking desperate. "Representative! It's the Emitter!!"
"Silence you fool!" Snapped Helmer.
"But Representative!! She's overloading!! They have picked up on the Emitter signal and we believe that they are approaching it!"
"What!? What happened to the containment field!?"
"Sir, it was not strong enough to block the signal! We've received a long range transmission from them!"
"Is the Disruptor online?"
"No Sir!! It was shut off for our exams!"
"Get it back online you idiot!"
"Sir, Dr. Fallist is working as fast as she can! She says that the disruptor will be online and functioning properly in three weeks!"
"THREE WEEKS!?!?
"Yes sir! It was taken offline and parts were dismantled for the investigation! It will take that long to put it all back together! It is a very complex system!"
"Representative Helmer!! What is going on here!? What else have you kept from us!?" Exclaimed Commander Calintz, obviously upset.
"Go aid them. Get everyone you can muster to aid in the reconstruction of the Disruptor..."
"Yes sir!" With that the scientist ran out of the room faster than he had entered.
"Representative, we are waiting."
"Hmph. We have simultaneously... Invented a 'beacon' for the Borg."
"A beacon?"
"Yes... An emitter that sends long range signals similar to a Borg S.O.S. It is to lure them in so that the Disrupter can be used against them."
"You're all mad..."
"Mad? Madness is not the word Commander. The Disruptor has no limit on how many Borg it can effect at once. Using it 'en masse' is a faster means to an end."
"Yeah, and end for us all."
"The Emitter was contained-"
"Apparently not!"
"Lower your voice Commander. I will not tolerate it. We still have time before the Borg show up."
"Three Weeks?"
"... We have sufficient time to restore the Disruptor to a working condition. It does not need to be at a hundred percent capability. The USS Adonis-"
"-Has been set up into a battle. I'm alerting the Captain. Away team to the Adonis." As the Commander called for the Adonis, he was only responded with silence.
"The emitter is blocking the communication Commander."
"There is no way to warn the Adonis!? BULLSHIT!" Shouted Cherrosk as he lunged forward and slammed his fist onto the Representative's desk. Marietta reached forward and grabbed him by his shoulders, pulling him back. Cherrosk had children with him, and they were on the Adonis now.
"Calm down Cherrosk. Commander, Is there any way we can go to the Adonis? A shuttle perhaps?"
"Good thinking Marietta. Representative-"
"-We have no such shuttles."
"Mon Deus... How do you plan to escape the planet shout things go sour?"
"Escape is not an option for us. Neither is failure." Said Representative Helmer as he returned to his seat.
"Is there a way to replace the containment fields around the emitter?"
"No Commander. If the fields failed, then they are no longer in existence. The system was blown and destroyed as soon as the emitter waves broke free. You heard him, the system overloaded. Also, take off those ridiculous containment suits. You are perfectly fine in here... Wait how did you find the compound?"
"It was present in the sample we had."
"Impossible. We gave you samples that did not have the compound."
"We took samples of our own."
"WHAT!?"
"... We took samples of our own. They are locked in the Doctors workspace."
"Yes, all the samples are closed off by a force field." Spoke the Doctor.
"... Should those fields fail, then the Borg is not our only threat..."
~End Part Two~
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