USS ZION

The Point of No Return "
By: Ian Hunter, Commanding Officer, [PC]
Jonathan Wright, Executive Officer, [PC]
Melissa Jarvis, Chief Security Officer, [RNPC]
Simon Zent, Chief Science Officer, [PC]

Stardate: 58209.15 1917

==Bridge of the USS Zion==

"Sir," said Lieutenant Forrester looking up at the view screen, "We're two minutes from Federation space."

"Thank you Lieutenant," said Wight. "Notify the Captain."

"Yes Sir," she said turning to her attention to her station.

"Nothing on the long range sensors." replied the tactical officer.

Simon Zent, who had been monitoring the scanners turned and faced the Commander, "There are some energy signatures consistent with Federation communication buoys bearing zero-point-zero, mark 5."

"Helm set course zero-point-zero, mark 5. That is our gateway."

"Course laid in Sir," responded the helmsman.

"Shall I signal the away team now?" asked Zent.

"Send the signal at 30 seconds," said Wright.

"Yellow alert," ordered Wright.

Captain Hunter entered the bridge and hastily made his way to the command chair. "Status Number One?"

Wright stood up as the captain approached, "We are on course to enter Federation space Sir."

"Sir." said Zent standing attentively.

"Yes?"

"The away team has been signaled."

Hunter sat down and pressed on the ship-wide intercom.

"Attention all hands. We are entering the next phase of our mission. Rig for silent running. Captain out."

Almost immediately a hush fell over the bridge. Hunter turned to the science station, "Make one last long range scan and then switch to passive."

"Yes Sir," acknowledged Zent as he turned to execute the order.

Hunter turned toward Commander Wright, "Here we are Number One. The Point of no return."

"Yes Sir! It's show time."

Unused stations were shutdown while the lights dimmed, casting a dull slightly reddish hue.

Silvio's hands worked furiously across his bridge station console. He put together a subroutine that would start shutting down unused sections of the Zion. Executing his program he watched his display as one by one whole sections of the ship powered down. "Powering down vacant sections of the...hmmm." A confused expression crossed his face.

"Silvio?" Wright got up and walked over to stand next to the engineer. "Something wrong?"

"Deck six section 33A is refusing my command to drop life support Commander. It's supposed to be vacant crew quarters."

"Any indication as to why?"

"Yeah, there is a life form present."

"Mr. Zent please scan deck 6 section 33A"

Zent turned and configured an internal scanner, a moment later he was studying the results. "Confirmed Sir. One Life sign...cardassian."

"A what?"

He turned and looked looked at the Captain and Commander, "The readings are confusing, he could be using some sort of scanner inhibiting device to attempt to mask himself. But it does appear to be cardassian."

Hunter tapped his combadge, "Melissa."

"Yes Captain?"

"Intruder alert. We have at least one cardassian on deck 6 section 33a."

"I'm on my way," she replied.

Hunter sat back, "We're not even five minutes into Federation space," he said with a sigh.

Stowaway "
By: Jonathan Wright, Executive Officer, [PC]
Teilani Dane, Chief Medical Officer, [PC]
Margaret Rose MacAlister , Marine CO, [RNPC]
Melissa Jarvis, Chief Security Officer, [RNPC]

Stardate: 58209.15 1930

Melissa Jarvis walked briskly down the corridor with two security crew members as her back. They were all armed with phaser compression rifles. They spoke no words as the marched toward the unused crew quarters on deck six to investigate an unauthorized guest. As the team passed the entrance to the marine quarters they were joined by two marines.

Melissa nodded at the Marine Co who fell into step beside her, but still no words were spoken. Melissa was angry. There was a Cardassian on board the Zion. Somehow, all the security measured she had set up had failed. She was going to find out how.

The team came to a stop outside their destination. They took up positions on either side of the door. Melissa nodded her head and the security officer nearest the console punched in the security override code.

The doors had not even finished opening when the first two security officers slammed into the room followed quickly by the marines. As Melissa entered what would have been the living area of these quarters, the room she was assaulted by the pungent smell of sickness. She waited as the team cleared the rooms; looking around the room she could tell that someone had been living in here. The meager furnishings showed signs of use and garbage littered the floors.

"In here," shouted one of her men from inside the bedroom.

As Melissa followed the rest of the team into the room the smell intensified. She began to wonder if there was a dead Cardassian in here. On the bed was something she had not expected. A child, that she estimated was not much more that 14 lay unconscious on the bed; her body drenched in sweat. Melissa noted that her ribs and other skeletal features were visible through her skin. This person clearly had not had a good meal in some time.

"That is not a Cardassian," said a marine, his weapon trained on its target.

"It's a half-breed," said the other marine disgust dripping from his voice like venom from a snake's fangs.

Melissa looked at the second marine and noticed that he was Bajorian. She kicked the edge of the bed and said, "Wake up."

"Stow it, Marine," Madge barked and moved closer to the bed. She shined her flashlight on the young girl's face. "Sweet Mary... Clarice.." she muttered. "I know this child," she told Melissa. "As does our XO. We need tae get the lass tae Sickbay. She's nay threat tae the ship or us."

"I'm sure that you are going to explain this to me," said Melissa tapping her comm badge. "Sickbay, medical emergency. Deck six."

"Of course," the Marine CO nodded.

Hearing the call come in Teilani took her emergency kit and rushed to deck six. As she arrived there was a small group gathered around a small person.

"Excuse me." Lani said as she tapped some Marine on the shoulder to let her pass.

"What happened?" she asked as she noticed someone laying on the bed.

"Stowaway," Madge answered and crossed her arms under her breasts. Came aboard at Bajor, I'll wager. Saint's know what the wee thing has been living on all this time."

Quickly Lani ran her tricorder along the young girl. " She is dehydrated and malnourished. If some one can help me getting her to sickbay?" she asked looking at some of the Marines.

Madge motioned to one of the Marines who stepped in and wrapped the cover around Clarice before he gingerly scooped up her up in his arms.

"Will she be alright, doctor?" Madge asked.

"She be fine, after some good meals and some TLC." Lani responded.

"'Tis good then..." Madge nodded and waited for Melissa to give the go ahead before she motioned for the Marines to start moving out. Then she tapped her combadge. "Commander Wright. Major MacAlister. Could you meet us in Sickbay please?" she requested.

"I'll be there as soon as I can," said Wright though the comm system.

Jarvis stopped her security officers on their way out of the room, "Post a guard in sickbay." She glanced at Madge. "Until I get to the bottom of this she is to be under guard at all times."

"Yes Sir."

As the guards left Jarvis turned to Madge, "Maybe you can tell me what you know on the way to sickbay."

The Ragamuffin "
By: Ian Hunter, Commanding Officer, [PC]
Jonathan Wright, Executive Officer, [PC]
Teilani Dane, Chief Medical Officer, [PC]
Dr. James McIntyre , Doctor , [NPC]
Margaret Rose MacAlister , Marine CO, [RNPC]

Stardate: 58209.15 2245

McIntyre watched as a marine entered Sickbay and laid a child on an exam table.

Dr. Dane ran a standard diagnostic panel while McIntyre cut away her clothing, which amounted to nothing more than rags which reeked from caked on dirt, vomit and excrement.

"She's been sick for a while ...severely emaciated ...looks to be about 12 years of age, " he said handing the rags to a nurse.

Dane nodded. "Yes you are right, at least no older then 14 or so.

"Her genetic composition appears.... Cardassian and Bajoran."

"That is correct James." Dane replied. "She is mixed blood."

The doctors continued their work. The biobed droned on with lights that flickered and pulsated across her body as it scanned and diagnosed her maladies.

McIntyre monitored the biobed's output, "her vitals are very feeble."

Dane nodded, "can you hand me that pulmonary stimulator?"

McIntyre picked up the device from the tray and handed it to Dane.

As Dane slowly but carefully prepared her medical checks she hinted at the Marine which was posted to the door.

"You think that is necessary James?"

He shook his head, "probably not, but maybe we should be careful," he said with wink. "Just in case she's dangerous."

"Oh come on James, you said it yourself, she looks like about 12 years old. How dangerous could she be?"

McIntyre chucked as he shifted his focus to her metabolic systems. "lots of problems...here " he muttered.

He looked up and poked at some holographic buttons, which reconfigured the output to show various charts which McIntyre pointed to. Liver functioning diminished, renal functioning impaired.

Dane looked on the diagnostic display as well. "Ok let's see heartbeat 60..; kidney function minimalтАж High elevation of white blood cells.. тАЬMnnn not good..тА? Look her endocrine levels are off the roof as well,тА? Dane said as she adjusted the display, causing more details to flow forward.

McIntyre frowned slightly, "I can't find much right with her, look at this," he said pointing toward a holographic read out above the patient, "Its an unusual antigen of some sort."

"Hmmm thatтАЩs indeed peculiar, perhaps thatтАЩs why her white blood count is so high. As if it is fighting an infection ." Dane said. "Lets take some blood samples." she continued while drawing a vial of blood. She then handed it over to McIntyre.

"I'll have that analyzed," he said pulling the vial from the hypo. "...And we should do a level 2 quarantine until we know what we're dealing with."

тАЬLetтАЩs keep her sedated and give her a broad IV range of antibiotics and nutrients. Let her body do the rest.тА? Dane said and handed some IV fluids to a nurse. McIntyre nodded at the nurse who recorded the recommendations in her chart.

When ever she is stable enough we can wake her up and ask Miranda to make some light chicken broth to start with. That will do her good."

"I wouldn't mind some of that myself," he said looking up, as he heard the sickbay doors slide open.

They opened with a whoosh as Jarvis led the Major into sickbay. "The commander will be here shortly," she said, "How is she doing?"

"The bairn's name is Clarice," Madge offered. "Although 'tis just what Commander Wright calls her," she clarified.

"The child is with the Commander?" asked McIntyre with a slightly dumbfounded look.

He listened as Madge briefed him with sparse details. She wasn't even finished when Hunter and Wright emerged into Sickbay.

Captain Hunter approached the Marine CO, "Status?"

Madge stood in a typical 'at ease' position. Her hands were clasped behind her back and her feet were shoulder width apart. "Appears we picked up a stow-away on Bajor, sir," Madge nodded towards he bed where the doctors were working on Clarice. "The wee bairn 'tis the lass who helped Commander Wright and I when that Cardassian virus was unleashed in the province we were in."

Wright was momentarily stunned by the news. He could not believe what he was hearing.

He crossed the room and stood next to Clarice's bed. How in the world had she managed to managed to get on the Zion, he thought.

The officer in him should have been quite upset that someone was allowed to stow away, but he really only felt relief. He was relieved that Clarice had been found.

He glanced at the medical displays, "How is she Doctor?"

тАЬTouch and go Sir, we decided to keep her sedated and introduced a broad range of antibiotics and nutrients in her system. We have some tests pending and can tell you more once those are finished,тА? Dane explained professionally.

Wright nodded. "Please let me know when she wakes up."

тАЬOf course.тА?

"So.." said Hunter stepping up next to her bed, "this is the child Number One?"

Wright turned to face the captain, "Yes Captain. She was on Bajor when the Major and I ran into that plague. This is the young girl who saved all those people."

"What is she doing on my ship?" Hunter said frowning.

Wright glanced at Jarvis. "I will endeavor to find an answer to that question for you Sir."

Hunter's ice blue eyes were now locked on Jarvis. But before he could share his displeasure in what a appeared to be a major security breach, his combadge chirped.

"Hunter here," he said without blinking away.

Jarvis silently clenched her teeth, but did not look away from Hunter's stare.

"Sir, the long range scanners have picked up some sort of disturbance near TR-Zero Three Five."

"I'm on my way."

His speech would have to wait, he dismissed her: "carry on Lieutenant."

With a brisk stride, he walked toward the door to the point where it opened and turned toward the Commander.

"Number One, you're with me."

Commander Wright exchanged glances with the doctors and followed Hunter out the door.

Dane looked at McIntyre as Hunter, Wright and Jarvis left sickbay. тАЬSomeone is in troubleтАжтА? Dane said with a light chuckle.

Log Index | Go to Stardate 58209.16