Time to Move

Posted on Mon Aug 17th, 2020 @ 10:34pm by Commander Samantha Howard & Commander Jonathan Grayson & Lieutenant Michael Stonebridge & Lieutenant Lisa Olsson

Mission: Tal Shiar
Location: Planetside/Romulan base
Timeline: Current

As the entrance to the base opened, Jon glanced at Sam and Olsson, "Time for us to move." He looked over to Stonebridge, Jones and Denna. "Good luck to you and we'll see you back here then have a drink once back on the ship."

Sam nodded as the two teams parted company, tucking in behind Jon and Olsson. They were now on the clock with an enemy of unknown size. The interior was plain and non-descript and with the layout information the team had being dated, Sam set her tricorder to map their progress should they get disoriented. Get in, do their job and get out.


Stonebridge had been in deep thought as his team moved them from place to place. He gave a head nod here and there and watched and made Justures here and there. But now that they were inside, he was tuned in. "That sounds like a good idea. See you back here afterwards." Said Stonebridge knowing there was no guarantee.

It were as though every sense in her body was intensified as Sam used everything she had to avoid detection. Her ears strained for the distance sound of footsteps or voices, her eyes carefully peering around corners and studying her tricorder, her fingers wrapped securely on her tricorder and occasionally brushing the phaser at her hip. The air tasted slightly different - it was heavily recycled and slightly colder than she was used to. There was a distinctive tang to it that she couldn't quite put her finger on, something also picked up by her nose. A slight chemical smell. The air quality according to her tricorder was within acceptable parameters. Still, her senses told her something chemical was being produced here.

They crept through several corridors, silent and as cunning as a pride of panthers hunting their prey. A faint blip appeared on Sam's tricorder, higher chemical readings coming from a series of what appeared to be labs. Could this be what they were looking for?

" Commander... look at this" She whispered, getting Jon's attention.

Jon moved slowly, stealthily down the darkened corridors keenly aware of not drawing attention to the small group. His steps were slow, precise like walking on eggshells. He stopped his forward progress to see what had caught Sam's attention. Moving to her, he asked, "What have you got Sam?"

Sam indicated the readings she had detected on her tricorder coming from a corridor with several large rooms. There were increases in several chemicals that would be used in warfare, as well as chemicals used in the study of biopathogens.

" Increased chemical and biopathogen readings, centralised in these rooms." Sam pointed to the map and their location relative to where the readings were coming from. " It's either what we'd feared, or a trap"

Jon looked at the map and the flashing lights on Sam's tricorder. "Damn." He whispered "And no way of knowing if its just trace amounts or the real deal without going into the labs and finding out for sure. he stood thinking, knowing they didn't have time to waste or debate. "Alright we go in but we do it by the numbers. Sam, you exam the materials see if it's the real deal. Olsson will watch the corridor and I'll watch you and the lab in case anyone is in there."

Sam nodded and felt her heart rate rise just a little more. It was crunch time, she'd been put on this away mission for a reason and now was the time to prove herself. She nodded to Jonathan and crept forward with the rest of the small team, keeping to the shadows and sheltered positions to avoid detection. So far so good.

The corridor lay stretched before them, a series of doors lay off to one side, seeming nothing unusual. As they neared the tricorder recorded increased levels of chemical and biopathogens. Something was definately going on in those rooms.

" No lifesigns detected, but they could be shielded somehow" Sam murmured to Jon as she pulled her hand phaser.

They approached the first door, Sam scanning madly trying to get more data before she went in. The Agent on the inside had given them command overrides for the security systems, and Sam implemented them to override the door locking mechanism. It slid open, revealing the sterile room within.

Jon moved in front of her, "Wait Sam. Let me enter first and see what's going on in here. Sweep the lab then you can have your look." He glanced at the security chief, "Olsson you stay here just inside the door, so we're not surprised by anyone." With that he moved into the lab, his phaser drawn and ready to use if need be.

He moved through the lab and found nothing unusual. He waved Sam in, "Alright Sam, do your thing." He said as he moved out of her way and continued to scan the room for any cameras suddenly coming on.

Howard ducked through the door, tricorder in one hand and phaser in the other. It looked like a science or medical lab. Several specimen containers lay dotted in various locations throughout the space. Computer consoles lay idle on workbenches. Large storage containers were lined up against the far wall, various labels in Romulan scrawled over their surface. Some microscopes were set up but dark, slides still within them. Sam reached over to turn one on, peering within the eyepeices.

Several cells were on the slide, each in a different state of bio-morphisis. It was as though something were attacking the cell structure and infiltrating the DNA of each cell. She increased the magnification several times and tried to ascertain if this was a virus, man-made or otherwise.

Jon had one eye on Sam and one eye on Olsson and the door. He was impatient to move but knew not to rush Sam as she examined the slides containing various specimens. he couldn't help but feel this was an elaborate trap. There were no guards either stationed at the labs or making patrols of the area. Of course the Romulans could also be thinking no one would be bold enough to enter the base.

Frustrated Sam moved to the next microscope, taking time to take tricorder readings as well as visual inspections. Something was off - it was as though they were being led to something.

" Jon... my gut tells me something's not right, I think we should get out of here"

That was all Jon needed to hear, He made a decision and was moving towards the door. " I trust your gut Sam. Lets go! We're not waiting around. To see if you are right or not. "Olsson!" He hissed, "We are leaving! Lets go!"

Lisa grabbed her hand phaser from its holster on her hip, and stood ready for anything. She could actually hear her heart beating manically in her chest. Her adrenaline levels shot up and her palms became sweaty.

The door slid shut just as the team tried to flee, trapping them within the confines of the lab. Footsteps were heard marching down the corridor towards them.

Sam tried her hardest not to panic, looking towards Jon and Lt Olsson for guidance.

Jon froze, waiting to see what was going to happen before he made his next move.

" How very generous of Starfleet to send us some new test subjects, we have yet to try our new weapon on your species yet. The data we collect I'm sure will be invaluable" A voice dripping with sarcasm could be heard from the other side, followed by a face appearing in the until recently opaque viewing window.

Jon didn't react to the taunt and hoped Sam and Olsson would follow his lead. Let the Romulans talk. They were good at that, The arrogant bastards.

" We should release them back to their ship, and the Washington will fall within a matter of days, after that - the Federation!" There was a megalomaniac tone to the words that reminded Sam of the Captain Proton holodeck simulation. Were tyrants all the same?

Jon listened, did that mean they were already infected? If so then the away team had nothing to lose. "He turned away from the window. "What about it Sam? Are we infected?" An idea beginning to form within his mind depending on her answer.

" I don't know. They could have released something into the air supply and we wouldn't even know about it. She raised her tricorder and began scanning the XO.

" Oh don't worry, you won't be able to find anything...yet. That's the beauty of this weapon. Undetectable yet utterly devastating at the same time." The Romulan's sneer was akin to a cheshire cat.

Sam redoubled her efforts. If these looneys could develop some kind of virus, she could solve it. Maybe not here in the lab but back in the Washington with her own equipment - definitely.

" Whatever it is Jon, I can fix it. Let's just blow this joint and get out of here before they can use this weapon on anyone else - I'll deal with the rest under quarantine protocols when we get back. There is also the possibility they're bluffing and don't know what to do with us" The last words were whispered so only he and Olsson could hear.

"I know you can Sam. That is something I never worry about." Jon told her honestly as he whispered back to her. "I think their bluffing. Keep nodding as I talk. What would happen if we spill the contents of these specimens and blow out that front window with our phasers? The Romulans would get infected as well right? That's if there is a virus."

Lisa listened intently to the plan. It certainly had merit. If they adjusted their phasers to the ‘disrupt’ setting, level 5 intensity, the windows should implode easily.

" From what I could gather the storage containers over on the back wall contain a rudimentary bioweapon using the virus on the slides mixed with a delivery gas. We'd definitely be infected if we aren't already, but they would be too once we blow out the windows" Sam replied, keeping her voice low and her eyes on Jon. It was a risk, she had no idea how virulent this virus could be or what its clinical signs and symptoms would be. It'd be a race against the clock, but she still felt confident. Some of the smartest medical minds in Starfleet were waiting back in the Washington's sickbay. " I think it's worth the risk"

Jon listened intently as Sam gave her opinion on his suggestion. He was well aware of the fact he could very well be sentencing them all to death but he sure wasn't going to let the Romulans have the upper hand and them look at the away team like lab rats. "Very good Sam." He turned and gave a look to Olsson as he drew his phaser and thumbed it to it's maximum. "Sam you hit the storage tanks, Olsson and I will take out the windows." He nodded to Olsson, "Now." He said coolly as he fired at the window in front of him and watched as it explodes outwards in a blast of glass, bits of the wall and frame.

Sam swung around as the others targeted the windows, using a narrow beam phaser setting to pierce the large storage containers at the rear of the lab. Hissing could be heard as a dark green gas spewed from the holes drilled by her energy weapon. Instinctively she held her breath even though it was futile. The countdown was now on.

Jon grabbed her by the hand and pulled her through the window as the Romulans staggered backwards from the blast, coughing and choking from the green gas that slowly spread out and enveloped them. "Lets go! We're really on the clock now. I hope the others had better fortune than we have." As they headed back down the corridor the way they they had originally come.