Answers...at Last (part 10)

Posted on Fri Feb 5th, 2021 @ 10:01am by Lieutenant Commander Amber Quinn & Lieutenant Remy Boudreau & Lieutenant Zuub & Lieutenant JG Paris Deville
Edited on on Fri Feb 5th, 2021 @ 10:02am

1,736 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Caverns of the mind
Location: Research Facility

[Previously]

The doors to the lab opened as Paris walked in. After a few necessary fly-bys in the shuttle, and a few unnecessary ones, he finally got fed up and headed into the lab. Once he spotted Amber he smirked as he continued to approach. "Finally... signs of intelligent life. At least my favorite one anyway. I have officially reached peek boredom. Please tell me the rest are either dead, or lost, and we can go home now?"

Amber chuckled softly and smiled. "Not yet, but we're close. Jansum and Nakoma got infected by whatever this thing is. Jansum apparently carried Nakano back to the caves. They're both in sickbay getting treatment." She wasn't sure what the fallout would be when they both came back to themselves and remembered what happened--if they remembered.

[Continued]

"So... Jansum has the mindset of a Neanderthal, with the same list of priorities." Paris replied, as a slight sigh escaped his lips, just before adding. "So, if you really think about it, he hasn't changed much at all has he?"

She checked the data and walked over to him. "If all goes well, most of the team can go back to the ship. I'd like to stay down here a bit longer."

"Of course you do." Paris joked as he looked down to the ground, laughing softly. "Because the threat of a mind altering virus... disease... whatever wasn't bad enough. Now, you want to stay down here to do what, exactly? Search for El Dorado? The Treasure of the Sierra Madre? The Lost City of Atlantis? Clearly, you don't have much danger in your life you require more." He gave her a playful smirk as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I get its a Starfleet Officer's prerogative to seek out new worlds, explore... yada yada yada, but when does it become too much?"

"All evidence points to the caves being the origin of whatever caused them to devolve. As long as we don't go in there, we should be fine."

"That is, if you are working under the impression, there is no other threat on this planet other than your mind altering virus?" Paris replied, with a smile, leaning slightly closer to Amber. "Is there anything in that computer that will tell you anything new that will alter the situation?"

She, too, leaned closer to whisper. "No. There are some larger predators, but nothing that won't be scared off by a phaser shot to a rock, but only if we choose to camp outside. There should be nothing to fear in here."

"You know what they say, right?" Paris smiled as he whispered back. "If you think you can handle any predator on the planet... chances are... you're the worse predator of them all." He added a slight laughed before continuing in a soft time. "All joking aside... you work too much. The data isn't going anywhere and its all a waiting game. You need to find something else to do that won't strain your brain. And, hey, maybe distracting yourself with something else will clear your mind for an answer you may not have considered."

"You have a point. Perhaps, when the others go back to the ship, I'll relax a bit. Or we'll all go back and you can help me relax."

"Try not to sound so surprised." Paris replied, smirking slightly, as he nudged her a bit. "On occasions, my unique perspective, does hold some wisdom." He looked around the room before looking back to Amber with a smile. "While flying about, scanning and what not, I found a few places that one might consider relaxing."

"I'm gaining a greater appreciation of your unique perspective," she admitted. Especially when they were alone.

Paris smiled, adding a bit of a wink, before whispered softly. "Don't worry. We can keep it our little secret."

She chuckled softly. "Definitely later. Right now, I have data to collate. Hopefully by then, the doctors and patients can go back to the Aurora."

"I'll be here then... resisting the urge to break something for attention." Paris replied, looking around as he let out a slight sigh. "Or breaking something by just simply touching it for that matter."

"When this is over, I promise to give you lots of attention," Amber teased. She leaned forward and kissed him. "Unfortunately, I need to get back to work so I can get the doctor the data she needs."

[Med Bay]

Standing at a spare console in the room, Boudreau set up a medical sensor to keep scanning Nakano as she recovered. He kept a wary eye on her as he returned to Zuub's side. 'Any progress with Jansum?'

The Andorian showed Boudreau, "See for yourself. There is improvement. I keep having to watch the current and make sure that I do not, as humans might say, 'fry their brain.' But the current seems to be freeing them from the negative interactions they had."

He grunted as he traced out the readings with his finger, 'that's excellent news. Hopefully we'll have him up and conscious enough to get him back aboard the ship before long. How're his vitals?'

"Vitals are all stable, Lieutenant. Mental state is more fragile. However, we could beam everyone to the ship. I do not believe that this can spread without the inhibitor atmosphere of those caverns getting into their system. It is just a matter of how quickly they recover and whether there is any permanent damage, now."

'I think you'd agree then, getting them to the ship to recover would be better than this ad-hoc facility we've got going here. What about the third man we found? Fit to be moved?'

"As long as we take the same precautions and treatment, he should be safe," Zuub responded, her antennae twitching uncertainly.

Amber walked into the med bay with a PADD. "Thanks to your data, I've found some information on the origin of the pathogen," she said to Zuub and Remy.

"Go on," Zuub encouraged.

"It appears to come from deep in the caves. There's a much heavier concentration in the builder than in Jansen and Nakano, which does support the theory that exposure over time is what causes the degeneration. Or an injury like being bitten." She handed Zuub the PADD. "It answers a lot of questions about transmission."

Boudreau folded his arms and leaned against the machinery behind him, 'it seems to tally with what the Doc has been saying for the last while - if we're all agreed, then, we should be safe to travel back to the ship?'

"I see no reason why not," Amber said. "The transporter buffers are in place. Since Paris brought the shuttle, he and I can stay here for a few more hours, monitoring, while the rest of you take the wounded to sickbay."

Zuub nodded. "The data correlates and as long as this therapy remains until I can find something quicker or better, then we should be safe. Please arrange for us to beam up."

'Just you and Paris, Commander? No-one else?' Boudreau wasn't one to question, but it was still unusual. There were a lot of unknowns. 'Perhaps if someone from Security would stay down with you. Troilon, perhaps?' She'd been useful when they'd been running about the caves.

"In our two trips to the planet, we've found nothing dangerous, not even the natives," Amber said. "The logs don't mention nothing we should worry about--unless it's going into the caves themselves. I see no reason to need security. I'll run a few more tests and Lieutenant Deville can fly the shuttle back." She shrugged. "If the captain thinks we should have a security presence, then she can stay, but I would prefer for her to be tested on the ship as she spent more time in the caves than I did. Lieutenant Deville didn't go in at all."

The Science Officer shrugged in response, 'solid logic there, sir.' Boudreau didn't think it was his place to voice his doubts about Deville. The others worked alongside him too, and his actions mostly spoke for him. 'I'm sure Troilon will be grateful to get back to the ship.'

Amber nodded. "I'll let the Aurora know. Oh, and Lieutenant, if you don't mind, I prefer ma'am to sir. I'm more scientist than I am officer."

It took her several minutes to get things squared away with the ship. She went back into the med bay. "Sickbay is ready to receive the patients and the transporter room is on standby," she said.

Zuub said, "Give us a standard containment field and have myself and the patients beamed directly to sickbay. Don't let anyone else from sickbay within it."

"Yes, doctor," Amber said, moving away to make the arrangements.

She returned two minutes later. "Everything is set up. You and the patients will go directly to sickbay. It's empty now. The rest will beam up after."

'Thank you, ma'am,' Boudreau nodded in her direction, 'we'll see to these guys. They'll be right as rain as soon as they can be. You take care down here, now.'

"I will, thank you," Amber said. She had every intention of uploading more files to the Aurora and enjoying a glass of wine, then having another look at the planet with Paris.

Zuub thanked Amber and touched her communicator, =^= Lieutenant Zuub and patients to beam up to sickbay containment area. =^=

Amber turned to Remy. "Ready to take the rest of your team back?"

'I think they'll be glad to see their bunks tonight, they should be ready now,' Boudreau smiled, 'it's been a pleasure sharing my first Away Mission with you.'

"Agred. I hope it will be the first of many," Amber said. She signaled the Aurora and the rest of the away team dematerialized.

When they were gone, she checked the med bay and the rest of the station, notified Paris, and went back to work.

Once she checked the new data, she and Paris could take another trip around the planet to look at the mountains and potential cave system. Maybe there would be time for him to show her one of those sites he found.

____
OFf

Lieutenant Zuub
Chief Medical Officer

Lieutenant Remy Boudreau
Chief Science Officer

Lieutenant Commander Amber Quinn
Executive Officer

Lieutenant JG Paris Deville
Chief Flight Control Officer

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