Sentinel 13

Posted on Sun May 28th, 2023 @ 7:06am by Captain Charlotte Rhodes & Lieutenant Commander Kenna Wolff & Lieutenant Commander Ryan Knight & Lieutenant Callie Knight & Lieutenant Savar & Lieutenant Steven Edgeware
Edited on on Fri Jun 9th, 2023 @ 9:58pm

3,278 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: Episode 1: Runner
Location: Sentinel 13 Town Square, Eta Halix II
Timeline: MD 6
Tags: story

The wind stirred the leaves overhead, providing a gentle background sound which punctuated what was otherwise a silent landscape. No sounds of vehicles, machinery, people. Not even the chirping of a small avian or the buzzing of an insect. The ruins of Sentinel 13 were silent, save for the wind and the crunching of leaves under the feet of the Pythagoras landing party.

In all directions around them, sat the silent and aged ruins of what was a bustling installation mere weeks ago. The buildings around them were in similar disrepair to the recordings they had witnessed prior to arrival. Smashed windows, doors off their hinges, plant life having overtaken what was once technological. And not a person in sight.

“This place is desolate” Callie looked around her. “I’m not sensing any animal life in the immediate vicinity.”

Savar moved slowly. His eyes were taking in the area around him. The silence was overwhelming. As he moved along the ruins of the station he called to the group, "Everyone, look here." He stated as he pointed to some panels and bulkheads which showed the signs of being hit by a phaser.

Ryan pulled his tricorder up and turned around slowly to allow the scanning function to confirm Callie's statement. He then flipped the cover back down and started over where Savar had discovered evidence of weapons fire. He turned to Kenna. "Can you tell if it was Starfleet phasers or something different that caused these?"

The fact there was no animal or insect life made Steven uneasy. He was amazed at how quickly the plant life had grown. Maybe it was the atmosphere? He scanned the plants and looked at the readings.

“ This does not make sense. This plant life is far too young to have covered all these ruins so quickly.” Steven reported.

Ryan glanced at a building wall with a partially obscured sign. He stepped over and pulled down a little ivy to reveal an old map of the settlement. He looked about at various landmarks and then pointed down an avenue. "We should find the Operations Center two blocks in that direction. We will see if we can get a terminal working. Lieutenant Edgeware, would you grab a power pack from the shuttle. I doubt we're going to have any local power any time soon."

“Will do!” Steven said. He walked back to the shuttle and collected the power pack. Then Edgeware returned to Commander Knight.

“Here you go Commander. You know this does not feel right. There should be some kind of life around. If these plants can thrive there should be some insects at least. But there is no life what so ever.” Edgeware said

"My thoughts exactly." He glanced about uneasily. "We stay alert." He looked at the landing party. "Let's move out. I want to power up the computer in the Ops Center and find out what happened here." He led the way down the avenue.

Callie moved upfront alongside Ryan. “It feels so...quiet, desolate even, I’m not sensing any lifeforms in the vicinity near us. It’s odd to say the least!”

Ryan glanced at Callie. "Odd is putting it mildly."

The landing party arrived at the Ops building. Ryan popped the door control panel and twisted the manual override. The door slowly opened with a loud metallic groan.

He gestured to Kenna to lead the way.

The chief of security barely stopped to wait as she moved from the shuttle.

Savar lagged behind the others as he continued to look at the buildings, the scorched walls pot marked with phaser fire and the overgrown plant life evident everywhere they walked.

Again the feeling that they were being watched came over Steven. He was a little concerned about the plant life inside the building. He could not see any natural way it could have gotten inside the building. If there had been insect life around then yes. Even with the smashed windows any seeds would not have enough nutrients to gain a foothold like this. He scanned the foliage but the readings made no sense.

“This plant life should not be in here.” Steven reported.

Ryan looked about. He couldn't help but agree that the prolific plant life was odd. The outside of the buildings he could understand, but this was a particular invasive type of plant life. "Take a few scans. Find out cell structure and growth rates if you can."

Bending down Steven scanned the area of the plants lower to the ground. The tricorder took readings but the more Edgeware took scans. The more his brow seemed to furrow in puzzlement. None of the readings made any sense. If he did not know any better the readings where almost the same as a humanoid nervous system. But that could not be wright. Maybe the tricorder was faulty or like the scans they tried to take from the Defiant. The planet was effecting any readings they tried to take.

"The tricorder must be broken. This does not make any sense." Steven replied.

Savar spoke up. "Commander, when you eliminate all the logical reasons, what is left no matter how illogical is the answer."

Ryan glanced at Savar with a wry smile. "Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?"

Savar nodded, "Indeed, Commander, and quite appropriate at this time and under these circumstances. Would you not agree?"

Kenna frowned as she looked at a building and moved off to look at it carefully. "Someone was trying to secure this area," she said to the Commander.

Ryan considered Kenna's assessment carefully. "I concur, but who or what were they barricades for?"

Callie stood looking around, she frowned as she began sensing something she hadn’t sensed up until now. “Commander...” She looked towards Ryan. “I’m sensing the presence of another mind, but it’s not one I’ve sensed before.”

Ryan turned to Callie. "Can you be a little more specific. Is it a survivor?"

Callie gave Ryan a shake of her head. “Not really, it’s only just started to come across my senses, I didn’t pick up on it before. I’ll let you know if that changes.”

As the others talked, Savar went deeper into the room, looking about, assessing the damages when he stopped. A body, he presumed of one of the colonists laid sprawled on the floor.

Callie noticed the way Savar had stopped, moving closer she looked back towards Ryan. “Sir, you need to see this..” She paused massaging her temples, whatever it was she was sensing it was slowly getting more powerful.

On the floor lay what was once the body of a colonist, sprawled in the position he clearly fell to at the end of his life. A few inches from his hand lay a discard phaser pistol, under seemingly decades of dust and dirt. The body, however, was somehow harder to age. It seemed to have been here just as long, but where it should have decayed it instead had changed. Running from the ground up and into the former colonist were tiny strands of greenery, almost like roots or runners, connecting the body to the flora that grew throughout the room. The colonists skin seemed to have an undercurrent of vegetation where veins had once been, giving his somehow only slightly decayed skin a greenish hue. Small sproutlings appeared from what may have once been puncture wounds in his abdomen. Though the being the body once belonged to had long since died, claiming that the body before them was dead would have been a stretch. It appeared to be as much a part of the plantlife dominating the former colony as any other thing they gazed on.

Ryan took a knee for a closer look. He gestured for Steve to join him. He hovered a gloved finger near one of the tendrils. "Are these tendrils drawing nutrients from the body or do they have some other purpose?"

Steven scanned the body.

“The tendrils seem to be injecting this body with nutrients. Like a plants roots soak up what it needs from the soil.” Steven reported

Kenna was ignoring the body and was scanning the area visually and her ears were straining to hear things. She frowned as she heard something. Carefully she shifted her weight and turned for the doors and stepped back outside, following the faint noise she had heard her weapon up and at the ready.

Callie was surveying the scene when a sudden intense wave of psychic contact all but knocked her off her feet, she clutched at her head as she sank to her knees. Everything, and everyone else in the room seemed to fade into the background.

Savar had continued to look around the room when he noticed Counselor Vali sink to her knees her face contorted in pain as she clutched her head.. "Counselor, Callie, what is wrong? Counselor?" He asked upon reaching her side.

Ryan was right behind Savar getting to Callie. He wrapped an arm around her for support. "What is it Callie!?"

Steven’s tricorder started to make a high pitched warning sound.

“My Uncle Finbar’s bones. I am getting readings that are off the scale. There is something going on beneath the surface.” He warned

Ryan kept his attention on Callie as he called out to Steven. "Elaborate Lieutenant. Sometimes 'going on' doesn't quite clarify a course of action we should take."

“Sorry it’s like looking at a scan of a nervous system that’s beginning to awaken from a coma.I have never seen anything like this before. At least in anything other then a patient.” Steven replied

"If it helps Commander," Savar interjected. "I saw the Counselor grab her head just before she screamed and collapsed."

Callie slowly came out of her traumatized state, the intense contact that had hit her had faded for now. “Ryan...” she paused. “There was a...an intense wave of contact, I wasn’t expecting it.” She massaged her temples. She had quite a headache now.

Savar looked over to Callie. "Can you be more precise in what you felt Counselor? By that I mean could you sense any intelligence behind or associated with the contact?" He spoke to Ryan. "This may not have been a random contact, Commander. Depending on the Counselor's answer it may have been directed at her because of her ability to sense emotions, feelings."

Callie nodded. “It wasn’t random, something purposely touched my mind. Whatever it is I’m sensing... anger, a whole lot of anger...”

"Then there is an intelligence behind the attack which means we must be even more careful as we proceed with our investigation." Savar pointed out.

--Outside--

Kenna followed the sound slowly, moving each foot carefully. She came to a grimy hatch in the ground a few meters away from the building. With the toe of her boot, she pushed debris away from the hatch's access point and froze to listen. The sounds were more distinct now. Kneeling slowly, Kenna opened the hatch slowly lifting it up to reveal darkness below.

She pulled a glowstick from her pocket and cracked it and dropped it into the hole. The stick hit the bottom of the tunnel with a clatter and showed the area in a dull green light. Kenna paused and sat down on the edge of the hatch. Then after a ten count in her head, she dropped down into the tunnel below. She crouched in the dull green light and turned in a circle slowly. Yeah there was that noise again. Slowly she stood, and turned left to the direction of the noise as she took slow steps away from the entrance. Every 10 meters she dropped another glow stick.

At the end of the hall, a distinct sound rang out. It was quiet, intentionally trying to be muffled perhaps. But it was recognizable. The sound of an access door being slid slightly open. Forward and to the left, a small gap was visible in one of the adjoining rooms.

Kenna's mind screamed trap. But she knew better than to rush into it. She moved to the access panel and paused to listen. Then she reached out and slid her fingers into the gap and pulled the door open keeping her phaser rifle set and ready.

Inside, an elderly Andorian stood, looking shocked. The man was old and worn looking, a long beard grew from his jaw and one of his antennae looked like it had been badly injured in the past, hanging at an awkward angle. "You're....you're not one of them," the man struggled out through a raspy voice that may not have seen use in a long long time.

"No i am not. I am Lt.Commander Wolff. USS Defiant. Here to help." Kenna said softly though she was watchful.

The man shook his head worriedly. "By the stars, I thought you'd never come. But...you need to leave. You and your crew need to get out of here and never come back. Level the complex from orbit if you have to. There are things here...things which can't be allowed to leave."

"And leave you here?" she asked softly. "You can come with us."

The man looked like the thought hadn't even occurred to him. "I...can try."

Kenna nodded, "Come with me" She said and led him from his hiding place.

---Inside the Offices---
As the officer's conversed, a slight change in the environment took place. An almost imperceptible quiver moved across the grasses and vines of the room, moving through the floor, before ultimately reaching its destination. The deceased body of a colonist lying on the floor of the chamber. The tiny tendrils feeding into the body, subtly withdrew back into the surrounding greenery. Silently, the body slowly rose to an upright position. Its long dead eyes opened, taking in the scene.

Ryan rose to his feet, helping Callie up as he did so. He looked at the sitting crewman who had been dead a moment before. His hand dropped to his phaser and rested there. "Do you understand me? Can you communicate?"

Steven scanned the sitting crewman. The readings were the most strangest he had ever seen. The tendrils had left small parts of themselves inside the body. Like a bee sting but more complex. The plants and grasses that grew in this area where all part of one life form. Which now had control over the corpse.

“My uncle Finbar’s bones…..” Steven said

Callie stood eyes transfixed to the ‘zombie’ her breathing was heavy as her senses continued to be bombarded by the emotions she was sensing. “We’re not welcome here...”

The body's eyes were not functional, but it turned its head toward the crew regardless. It was not immediately clear if this was due to any of the old bodies senses or the result of some new process. But the effect was unnerving none the less. Its mouth opened as if to speak, but only a low raspy breathe escaped. It 'looked' toward Edgeware, its arm moving in a small swaying manner. Then it stopped and looked around again. After a moment, the eyes seemed to lock directly onto the Counselor. But the body remained still, as if studying the scene.

Callie stood as transfixed on the zombie as it was on her, her breathing was heavy as she picked up on the overwhelming emotion that was bombarding her senses. Anger, pure hate driving anger.

Steven could see this was not a typical Zombie. It seemed to have some brain capacity left. Rather than just a mindless hulk looking to feed. He wondered.

“Do you have a name?” Steven asked the Zombie.

Savar remained silent as he observed the Zombie and Commander Knight's attempt to communicate with it. He glanced at Callie. "Counselor, are you still sensing anger?" He inquired.

Callie nodded. “A whole lot of it!”

The former colonist waited for a moment of silence. Then, with an eerie creaking, its jaw opened again. A wheeze came out, as if it testing the vocal chords. And then...

"Leave...or...die...." The words might have come out of the man's throat, but they did not sound like any sort of human voice.

Ryan kept his eyes on the human avatar as he handed Steven the portable power unit. "Lieutenant Edgeware, power up the console and get as many of the latest log entries as you can uploaded to the ship in a few minutes. I will try and buy you some time." He stepped closer to avatar. "We will leave in a few minutes. We just need a few minutes to retrieve the scientific data collected by our colony."

Steven nodded and hurried to complete the task given to him.

“ Is it my imagination or is the galaxy out to kill us.” He said as he began to upload the log entries to the Defiant.

Steven noticed that a lot of the early ones. Seemed to be regarding the botanist who had discovered something strange about a specific form of plant life.

Outside, down the street in the direction away from the shuttle, the distinct sound of breaking glass and clanging metal rang out. The avatar looked at Knight. It's voice came out more aggressive now, but no more human. The cadence of the sounds were all wrong. "Leave...or....die...."

“It means what it’s saying Commander!” Callie looked at Ryan, it was obvious that she was struggling to maintain the anger she could feel from all around them. It was overbearing.

Ryan nodded at Callie as he tapped the comm switch on his suit. "Commander Wolff, Knight here. Time to exfil. Rendezvous back at the shuttlecraft. We are leaving ASAP."

"ok" Came the abrupt reply. "I have found a survivor."

"Let's move people." He glanced at the strange avatar. "We will leave peacefully now. Is this acceptable?"

The being looked at him silently. In the distance, the sounds of movement became even more evident. Beyond the windows of the enclosure, a humanoid form walked into view. Then another and another. The body remained silent, simply staring.

Callie was frozen to the spot, lost in the oppressive emotions she was sensing. They were totally overwhelming her, so much so she was clenching her fists so tight that what nails she had were digging into her palms drawing blood.

Ryan caught movement in his peripheral vision. He pulled his phaser and set it to maximum. "Big mistake." He fired on the avatar center mass.

Meanwhile Savar had seen Callie rooted to the spot where she was standing. Moving quickly, he took her by the shoulders, "We must vacate this area immediately Counselor." As he urged her along.

Callie snapped out of her anger induced stupor as Savar touched her. “What? Ohh...leave, we must leave!” She offered Savar a nod. “Thank you for snapping me out of that Savar.” She looked at the palms of her hands which were now bloody and sore. “The anger these things have is off the scale.”

"You are welcome Counselor." Savar replied as he looked at her hands. "You should go by Sickbay to have your hands treated. It does not appear to be serious but better to be safe."

“Agreed” Callie nodded. “It’s always better to air on the side of caution.” She offered a brief smile. “The sooner we get away from here the better, I’ve got a headache the size of the ship!”

"Agreed Counselor. The sooner we remove ourselves from this area the better we all will be. "Savar observed sagely as the pair backed away.

 

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