Wonderland Pt 2

Posted on Wed Mar 26th, 2025 @ 1:34pm by Lieutenant Commander Deanna Celes & Commander Jonathan Grayson & Lieutenant Commander Shoniara T’ghann-Travis MD & Lieutenant Inara Senn & Lieutenant JG Kate Kono & Lieutenant JG James Phoenix

1,208 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Genetic Purity
Location: Sleeper Ship

Deanna looked back as Jon called out to Kate. Suddenly the light inside the stasis units changed from an arctic blue to a menacing red. She quickly checked her tricorder. "We have a problem. It appears someone has triggered some sort of rejuvenation protocol. Every cryo unit is waking up its occupants."

"Damn." Jon snapped, "Did I nor specifically say don't touch anything? Phasers on stun." He ordered. He wasn't taking any chances with the away team's safety. Jon sent a quiet message to Callie via the link they shared.*Trouble!*

Kate stuck her head through the door to look back at Jon when he told her to wait. "Yeah?" Kate asked as she popped her head through the crack in the door. Her dark almond eyes rolled around as she took in the space before narrowing back on Jon. She smiled happily. "Hey, the room changed color!"

The young intelligence officers mouth opened with a wide, exaggerated V shaped grin as if surprised the place could light up so colorfully like it was some sort of feature at an amusement ride. At the same time she grabbed her phaser because RED probably wasn't one of the best colors a room could change into...

"Did someone touch something they shouldn't have?" Inara shouted from the ship's control room.

"I don't think we want to be here when these pods open" Deanna said in a heightened tone. She looked to Jon, "I think it is time for us to implement standard protocol, evac and incinerate this vessel."

"What if the people in the pods are nice?" Kate asked while looking at one of the pods. She tapped the glass in front of one of the faces of the men stuck in stasis while wondering if it would be a mistake to kill anyone there without as much as a hello.

Jon nodded and tapped his comm badge. "Grayson to Washington, beam us back now." He grabbed Kate. "Did I not say don't touch anything Lieutenant?!" using her rank instead of name to show his displeasure.

Inara materialized onboard the Washington with the rest of the team. "Well, that didn't go the way I hoped, but I think I managed to get some scans of some data storage devices on that ship."

Kate sighed and shrugged her shoulders at Jon. "I thought the door was stuck. Naturally I stayed away from control consoles, hot men, and control levers, but it didn't occur to me that a door latch would be rigged. Sorry, sir."

Damnit Kate, James muttered in his head as he remained silent after the team rematerialized in the transporter room. Perhaps he'd need to help teach his colleague a thing or two about situational awareness. Then again in the 24th century with automatic doors all over the place, he couldn't blame her as nobody regularly thought of doors as being rigged anymore.

"The whole ship was a bag full of cats, and I think I managed to recover some files via my tricorder in the mail control room I think the ship was repurposed." Inara noted.

"Did you just shrug your shoulders at me Lieutenant? Do you not think this situation is not serious enough to not listen to me?" Jon snapped at Kate.

'Aww goddesses damned hell. I hope we're not going to have a pissing contest.' Inara thought to herself and kept quiet.

Deanna hit her comm badge, =^=Captain we are aboard. Initiate Augment protocol. =^= Deanna looked to Shon, "I wish we could've gotten your specimen before all this happened. I am sorry." She then looked over to Jon, "Captain has been informed of the situation, and he should have the protocol completed by the time we reach the bridge."

"Deanna, what in the name of the four goddesses is the Augment Protocol?" Inara asked getting in her face.

Jon turned his head to face Deanna, "Very good Deanna. Thank you for seeing to it."

Deanna looked at Inara, "It is akin to old Earth military strategy. I believe the terms that best fit would be 'seek and destroy' and 'scorched earth.' In this case, photon torpedoes will be used to incinerate that ship so as to avoid Augments from becoming awoken and thus a severe danger. We'll return to the bridge to locate the colony on the planet to determine what needs to be done moving forward. You should know how dangerous genetic engineering can be when dealing with humans. I wish humanity could use eugenics in a safe way, but history has shown that your species is far too prone to disaster when not watched carefully. The last known genetic incident was aboard DS9, but before that the Enterprise visited Darwin Station where the scientists were creating 'the next evolution' of humanity and it had disastrous results."

Inara tapped her com badge. "Captain, this is Lieutenant Senn. I must urge you to reconsider. Just because they are Augments does not mean we are arbitrary in murdering them for whatever Khan Noonien Singh did or did not do." She said calmly. "We don't know if they willingly were augmented, we don't know if someone will come back for them and find them dead with us here."

=^=A valid argument lieutenant. But protocols exist for a reason. It is done. We may locate worse on the planet. I am willing to consider your argument for the larger situation that may be down there. =^= Shran replied from the bridge.

Inara sighed and looked down. Pondering... "I came here to explore, and unravel a mystery." She looked at Deanna. "Now that ship and the people onboard are dead. I will live with the shame of leading all of you to this place forever."

Inara left the transporter room.

James shook his head and spoke to the others. "I don't completely disagree her arguments, especially since I come from a similar situation" he began.

"However, from a tactical standpoint, even though there probably have been augments that weren't crazy, that protocol is one of the only things helping prevent another Khan situation" the Lieutenant continued. It really was meant for Inara, but she left too quickly, and he felt it was too important to not say.

"Not up for debate. The protocol..." Jon replied, "is there for a reason. A reason just like we've run into."

Shon looked at Jon, "I feel the same way as Inara Commander but to condemn these people that in all truth are experiments. Surely, we need to look for the people who performed these abominations. It is illogical to destroy a species for the crimes of their progenitors. I protest strongly at this arbitrary destruction."

"I don't like the protocol, but it does exist for a reason. And we will be searching the planet for those responsible for these genetic abominations. I promise you; we'll find them and ensure such brutal acts are never again necessary" Deanna noted. "We should return to our duty stations and find these people."

"Log a protest Shon if you feel you must. However just so you know. I agree with the protocol. Perhaps it can be modified but until it is, this is the way it is going to be." Jon replied firmly.

 

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