Eyes Upon Us All (Part II)

Posted on Mon Nov 11th, 2024 @ 1:33pm by Lieutenant JG LuAnn Lovegood & Lieutenant Commander Anahera Chernova & Lieutenant Commander Aaron Marcus & Lieutenant Amanda Rose & Lieutenant Percival Bálor Ph.D & Petty Officer 3rd Class T'Rala H'Zelar

1,431 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Standing By

[PREVIOUSLY]


LuAnn and T'Rala arrived at the base camp before the others. It looked like there had been some sort of a skirmish.

"This doesn't look good," LuAnn said. "I think we should look inside before the others get here." If any of the scientists were dead, she didn't want Percy to see them. She paused at the doorway to be sure the security officer was ready and opened the door.

[CONTINUED]


As they reached the door, T'Rala held up her hand to prevent LuAnn from entering. She examined the door traps. Finding none, she let the officer enter.

When the door opened, the room had clearly been ransacked. Even in the bedroom area clothes and bedding could be seen scattered around. "I'll check the office if you'll check the bedrooms. It just looks like it's been messed up out here."

T'Rala nodded her agreement and went to check the other bedrooms. They too showed clear signs of being ransacked.

"Clear." She called out as she finished examining each room.

After this was done she met up again with LuAnn in the office.

Aaron walked into the base camp and looked around. "Well, it looks like the welcoming committee is nowhere to be found." He exhaled sharply through his nose. Despite his wisecrack Aaron knew that the lack of anyone about the camp meant something very bad happened. Something that he would have wished he was still on the Ontario for.

"Yeah," LuAnn said, coming out of the command room. "The equipment has been smashed. Especially their communications. I think we should scan everything and get whatever data we can, then report to the ship." She looked toward the door. "But we'll need Percy to confirm that when he gets here. Until then, we still need to find out what happened and if there's any sign of where they went." Or were carried, but she didn't want to say that out loud. At least there was no clear signs the team had been killed. Yet. "And Commander Chernova to secure the area."

Then the counselor turned to Aaron. "Doctor Marcus, maybe you'll notice any signs the crew was attacked. I'm hoping they hid somewhere, but this..." She waved her arm around the room, "has me worried."

"As you should be," said the half Tellarite approaching them and shaking his head. "As should we all" added Percy as he gave a look around. "Someone or something had a bit of rage in here."

Aaron opened his mouth to speak in answer to the Counselor. He had a great comment about how he was a doctor and not a security officer, or a strategist. But before he could get the comment out Babe the pig interrupted. "I am not going to worry about a damn thing. You see we have a great thing called a shuttle. It can take us back to a greater thing called a starship. Whatever did this can and should be left alone." Aaron rolled his eyes so far into his skull it appeared like he was dead. For he knew that there was no way they were going back now, they had to find whatever did this so they can be killed by the same thing.

Just then the team each received the message informing them of the storm and that the ship was temporarily leaving the system. "Stay safe. We'll be back as soon as the storm clears." And then the channel closed.

"Well, Doc, we still have the thing called a shuttle, but we can't take it to the thing called a starship, because it’s not there." Anahera said. "I suggest we make ourselves useful and find out what happened here."

"You do that..." Aaron said with a snide tone. "As for me I will be in the shuttle taking a nap." He began to walk as fast and as steady as he could. Aside from the fact that he did not want anything to do with learning what happened, he felt intense pain in his leg. A pain which he did quite well concealing, however, he wanted to get somewhere private where he could take a pill.

Percy cleared his throat. "You'll do no such thing, Doctor" the Chief Science Officer said gesturing in a direction. He walked over and crouched to the ground. "We have blood" added Percy.

LuAnn's first reaction was to find out what sort of blood it was, animal or humanoid. Second was the amount. She went over to Percy and looked at the ground. Then she looked around the area to see if there was a blood trail. "Is that more blood over there?" She pointed a short distance away.

Aaron took a few steps toward the shuttle and when Percy spoke he paused. There was a moment where he contemplated continuing to the shuttle. However, he also knew the amount of explaining and paperwork it would have taken for disobeying the order. Aaron had the rank but Pumbaa was given the overall command of the mission. The good news was the Science Officer was not too specific on the order. Aaron looked around and found a nice fallen log to lean up against. He sat on the ground with his back to the log and his cane at his side. "Fine Lieutenant..." Aaron over pronounced the word Lieutenant for extra emphasis. "...I will stay right here and take a nap. Great news that you found blood. Tell you what wake me up if that blood leads to someone who has a pulse."

Amanda looked over at the doctor and asked, "Why not test the blood and see if it actually belongs to one of the missing scientists? If it does not, it may relate to someone that took them. Information, you know?"

"Thank you, Counselor Rose. Perhaps you would have been the better choice for medical personnel on this away mission," quipped Lieutenant Bálor. It was a rarity that Percy and Amanda were ever in agreement on something, but Percy grunted and gave a nod. This was one of those rare times. Doctor Marcus was not being the least bit helpful with his desire to sit in the shuttle.

Percy stood and looked around. "I am sure Captain Vetur will be thrilled to know your preference was to wait until we found someone living for you to work on rather than assisting in trying to ensure we find them alive."

Wait a moment, did the Pig actually compliment me? Granted it was a backhanded compliment, but coming from Percy, it may as well have been a song of praises. She looked at him, her jaw opening slightly, but her eyes narrowing, wondering if some alien had taken over his mind.

Perhaps this was the reason that she hopped to the Doctor's defense. "I'm certain he is just tired from his injury and needs to rest. I'll take his tricorder and do the scans. I do have a rudimentary knowledge of these things...." She looked over towards the Doctor concerned.

Aaron did not rise and did not give his tricorder over. He had many tricks up his sleeve. "Listen here Pumbaa and Thorny. It is not my job nor it is my interest to scan blood samples. That is the job for a forensics team, or even perhaps a science team. Medical deals with the sick and injured, the dead for autopsies and the such. So, if you find someone who is sick, injured or dead I will be happy to work on them. For you see the only bad doctor is a dead one. Oh, and feel free to tell the Captain all you wish for as I said it is not my duty for this investigation. I am not endangering myself to go on a wild goose chase. Add to that the only thing a tricorder is going to tell you is what dropped the blood. If you want anything specific you have to do DNA & RNA analysis. Which can only be done in a lab. In fact, if you wish I can invoke some general orders that will require you to bring us all back to the shuttle to wait out this storm. Don't quote the rules to me boyo, I wrote them."

(To be continued...)

Lieutenant Amanda Rose
Chief Counselor
USS Ontario

Lieutenant Commander Anahera Chernova
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Ontario

Lieutenant JG LuAnn Lovegood
Counselor
USS Ontario

PO3 H'Zelar
Security
USS Ontario

Lieutenant Commander Aaron Marcus
Chief Medical Officer
USS Ontario

Lieutenant Percival Bálor
Chief Medical Officer
USS Ontario

 

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