Plague World

Posted on Thu Apr 16th, 2026 @ 7:16pm by Lieutenant Commander Deanna Celes & Commander Jonathan Grayson & Commander Samantha Howard & Lieutenant Commander Callie Raven-Grayson

1,074 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: The Shuttle Incident
Location: Loras

Sam, Deanna, and Sakonna materialized on Loras with their equipment. Deanna looked around, the square of the colony quiet and desolate. "Whatever happened here, it looks to have taken a toll" she noted.

Where there should have been people, there were bodies, piled up against the sides of the street whilst a single hovercart tried to load them.

"It's worse than I thought" Sam grimaced, stepping over to the body of a young woman, her features starting to grey and a mottled complexion on her skin. "She died 10 hours ago; her lungs are filled with some kind of fluid." Sam ran some scans, recording everything she did so it could be reviewed later. "They're all the same."

Deanna looked around in amazement and utter horror. "This is horrific. I have seen something remotely like this since the war. This isn't a natural disease, it can't be."

"That is a bold conclusion without seeking out evidence" Sakonna noted.

"Look around" Deanna replied, "the evidence is everywhere. It isn't just the people being infected. Look at the plants, the trees, ferns, shrubs, they all appear diseased. This has to be a biogenic weapon, perhaps one that mutated and became something truly horrific."

"We need to locate the hospital, I need to talk to the doctors" Sam stood determinedly, regarding the death around them. " I have so many questions."

"As do I Sam, as do I" Deanna stated pensively.

Aboard the Washington, Jon sat and waited for contact with the away team. He knew they would check in once they had enough information to file a report. He just hated waiting when his instinct was to act. Only he didn't know what to react to. This entire situation was in a state of flux. There was also no contact with the captain's shuttle and that was worrisome and needed further investigation but for now all he could do was wait no matter how much he willed things to move faster.

"Commander, we are receiving a communication from Starbase 184, Admiral Romanov" Ens Kuzma stated from Ops.

Jon nodded, Admiral Romanov was the commanding officer of the starbase the captain's shuttle had departed from. "On screen if you please Ensign."

The viewscreen came to life with the image of the admiral. He had a serious demeanor about him, a middle-aged man with a thin white beard and salt and pepper hair. "Commander, what is the Washington's status?"

Jon answered without hesitation. "We are in orbit above Loras sir. Giving help to the local authorities dealing with an unknown medical illness."

"Is the situation serious?" the admiral replied.

"Yes sir. The CMO, Operations Chief and other medical personnel are on the planet to get a firsthand look at this illness and hopefully develop a vaccine. We are currently waiting for the Fleming to arrive to assist us."

Callie sat ‘tuning’ into her sense of Deanna on the planet, from what she was sensing whatever the team had found wasn’t good. She was going to keep a close read as best as she could.

Romanov looked concerned, and a bit frustrated at the news. "The medical emergency obviously takes precedent. Remain there until the Fleming arrives. I was contacting you to inform you that we received a partial distress signal from your captain and we have dispatched three runabouts to search for them. Notify me when you are able to get underway to join the search."

Jon took in the news giving Callie a quick glance as she sat her chair by the look on her face, she was keeping tabs on the away team. Jon faced the viewscreen and the Admiral. "Thank you sir, this is unfortunate and disturbing news. We'll get on the way as soon as the Fleming arrives."

"You do that Commander. Romanov out." The viewscreen went black, then returned to the image of the planet as they orbited it. The bridge crew all looked shaken from the news.

Back on the planet the team made their way towards the nearest hospital, following a long line of ill and dying people who were attempting to make their way there themselves. The place was overflowing, clearly overwhelmed by what they were dealing with.

Jon tapped his comm badge, electing to contact Deanna rather than Sam who he knew would be elbow deep in trying to solve the nature of the illness sweeping Loras. "Grayson to Celes. How is everything progressing Deanna?"

Sam ascended the steps of the hospital, tricorder in hand, looking for doctors/medics/or anyone who seemed to be treating everyone else. The sick grabbed and pawed at her biosuit, desperate for aid.

Callie picked up on the change of emotions on the bridge as the news about Shran’s party was announced. She offered Jon a concerned look as they waited for a response from Deanna.

"Don't worry Callie. We'll find the captain and the others. Just need to know what we're dealing with here as well as wait for the Fleming to get here, so we can pass this off to them if we need to."

=^=Chaotic. This is far worse than what we thought it was. Sam and Sakonna will be able to help, but I fear it is like place a bandage on a severed artery. I will be sending tricorder data to you soon. I need Inara to analyze it immediately. This disease, whatever it is, isn't limited to the populace. It has spread to local plant life. =^= Deanna replied.

Jon shot Callie a look upon hearing Deanna's evaluation of the situation. "I'll get Inara to analyze the data," Jon assured her. "That is indeed troubling." Jon replied. People and plants both affect what about animal life?"

=^=I can't say as I haven't encountered any animal life. I'd like for the ship to begin scanning the biosphere. Sam is dealing with the people, but if this is a biogenic weapon that has gotten out of control, we could be looking at a global catastrophe. =^= Deanna replied.

Inside Sam tried to find someone who knew what was going on. There were patients everywhere, each ward overflowing, lying in the corridors. She had no floor plan but most hubs near the center of the wards stood a small conglomeration of people in a uniform, basic infection control protocols were evident, but they were clearly overwhelmed. Sam approached them.

"We are from the Washington, I'm a doctor, we're here to help you."

TBC

 

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