The Hunt (Part 1)

Posted on Mon Mar 1st, 2021 @ 12:50am by Leiddem Kea (*) & Captain Rueben Gregnol & Vincent Anjes MD & Micheal Robertson & Chief Helmsman Eden Bowers & Beya & Oliver Lucas

Mission: Mission 12 - Railway
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: MD 04 12:00
1862 words - 3.7 OF Standard Post Measure

With half the ship gone over to the refugee ship to get them working it left him and the people, he trusted left on board to work out who the pocket universe dweller could be. With his security expert on the refugee ship to make sure everyone was safe and sound it left him as former security chief to use the tools, he had onboard which meant the man in sickbay. Which was why the people he trusted or would even have an inkling of who they were looking for were assembled there.

Beya looked at the small mob that had assembled in medbay. There had been visitors ever since their emergency patient had come around, but this one seemed excessive for someone still recovering. "What is going on?"

“I brought everyone here so we can use Robinson's brain even if he is laid up. So as you know the knowledge that we are swapped is now out in the open but what the rest of the ship does not realise is that it is due to someone we have onboard. We have something called a Megas-Tu. The Fenris Rangers are scared… not that’s not the right word cautious maybe. They do not like it.” He announced wishing it sounded more calming and composed like normal that Eden’s voice allowed. He had seen her doing the compassion and almost mothering thing but, in his accent, and tones it sounded off and that was not what he needed.

“Would explain your situation,” Leiddem commented folding his arms looking annoyed that no one had told him about the situation and why he had been checking armoury equipment over and over for the last two days.

Still laying in his biobed, Micheal asked. "What can I do to help, Boss?" He desperately wanted to get up and physically help, however, his body was still very weak from his exile to the Andromeda galaxy and the surgeries he had to undergo to remain alive.

“We need to think on if anyone on the ship that we have seen is acting odd I guess. A normal security investigation. We’ve got three people here who have done them.” Gregnol looked pointed at himself, Leiddem and Robertson. “Someone who thinks outside in Eden.” He offered a smile to the woman as she had the way of thinking that had allowed her to survive. “And the best medical minds on the ship.”

"You think it's one of the crew?" Oliver asked. "We could maybe rule-out some of us; those that have been switched, for instance."

Micheal was thinking quietly about the situation, then he spoke up. "If medical can determine biological discrepancy, even something as simple as unusual body temp, i could set the internal sensors to keep an eye out." He paused, realizing he may have spoken out of turn. "That is, if I was the Armory Chief still. I'm sure the current chief could do the same. Sorry."

Gregnol smiled a little at Robinson. He was a good investigator, he most likely would have found out that it was the other universes Dixoho eventually if he had been around. “It is a good idea but before we get complicated has anyone seen anything strange?” He wondered. Medical always saw stuff that others didn’t.

"Nothing stranger than Mr. Robertson's surprise entrance," Beya answered. "But if the Fenris Rangers could detect it on the ship, they must have some kind of signature, biological or otherwise, we could scan for."

"Why not just release Stan," Eden joked though she had some doubt that some of the crew members would know she was joking as she normally suggested stuff like this. "He can sniff them out."

Micheal had a questioning look on his face. "Uh..who's, uh, who's Stan?" He was suddenly realizing that he certainly had missed out on quite a few staff meetings.

Vinny walked into Sickbay from his adjacent office holding a mug of coffee. "That...thing is not allowed in Sickbay, and no telling if it's even had proper inoculations. Who knows what germs it's spreading around.".

"Stan's not carrying any germs," Eden said sticking her tongue out at Vinny. "He's my pet spider," she whispered to Michael. "And he's totally harmless. Jumping spiders don't bite."

Micheal arched an eyebrow. He opened him mouth to speak once, twice. Finally, his voice worked. "A..spider? You're telling me that a teeny little spider is your trained bloodhound?" The question hung there for a few beats, and then he simply shook his head and closed his eyes. "Why not?" He seemed to ask no one in particular as he chuckled. Then, looking at Reuben, he asked, "Anything else I miss while I was gone, Boss?"

"Nah," Eden smiled. "I was only kidding about letting him loose. He's really more of a cuddle bug. Or she, you know I really haven't figured that part out yet. "

“One day we will and It is not a small thing.” Gregnol said sounding a bit dumbstruck by his own thoughts for a second that Stan might have been perfect. He would never admit it. “There is so much you missed it’s going to take a lot of booze and weeks to explain but right now our issue is finding this Megas-Tu. Anyone come into sickbay a little strange?” He wondered off the sickbay crew that he was finally relieved to have.

Vinny set his mug down in a table and pulled out a datapad from his labcoat. "Let's see, that was a splinter, that was a chipped tooth, that was..." he paused for a moment while scratching his chin. "I did have someone come in complaining of feeling exhausted, a passenger."

"A passenger?" Lieddem spoke up. "Which one?" He had not thought any of the passengers odd as they had all been on long term.

"Well there was that one woman," Eden made dramatic gestures to outline her figure. "With the tall gentleman with spots. They kinda seemed odd to me."

"Odd how?" Micheal asked, his mind starting to work. "Can someone give me a PADD, so I can try to access the internal sensors?"

"She was kind of . . . sparkly. I mean I know there are lots of races so I didn't think too much about it. But she did have a bit of a glow at one point. Maybe I was seeing her aura. I don't want to judge, I mean look at me."

Gregnol had a sinking feeling as he recognised the description with a name of one of the passengers. There was only one Trill on broad apart from crew and there was only one woman who had an aura like Eden has described. “Meg... Han.” He said with a roll of his eyes. It was right under there nose all along now that they had a bit more information. The woman even thought them stupid or she was feeling nostalgic to be known at that.

Micheal looked at his captain quizzically. "Who's Meg Han, Boss?"

Vinny nodded. "Miss Massachusetts. Stunning woman, even for an El-Aurian. She was feeling, off. I advised her to take some time to herself. There were a few unusual anomalies with her labs, but nothing that seemed odd, at the time."

“Have to agree she is stunning. Something unearthly about her I always thought. She had been on board about two months.” Gregnol nodded. The woman was stunning and paid above and beyond for passage. He had just assumed she was escaping something personal to just not care where they were heading as they barely knew most of the time with picking up jobs as they went.

Micheal sat quietly, as everyone talked around him. He was thinking about quite a few things at the moment. One, had what had happened to his friends reversible? Two, why were only a few of them switched? Three, what other dangers could this woman possess? And four, why had no one brought him a PADD, like he asked for?

"I don't think I've met her. I'd remember someone stunning sparkly," Beya put in as she came back with a PaDD to hand to Robertson.

The captain frowned and rubbed his head. He had not considered a passenger as nothing overly weird had happened until now. “So we need a small group to confront her.” He decided trying to think of who else he had left on board. “Doctor can join me, Eden and…” He looked around trying to decide who else would be best to come along to confront the woman. He did not want her to react and cause something worse to happen but he wanted others to come along for protection in numbers. It was a balance

Micheal looked up into Gregnol's eyes with determination. "I'll go, Captain." He said the rank fully, instead of his usual shorthand, to give emphasis on his request.

Giving a nod of his head, Vinny agreed. "Of course, Captain. I appreciate you adding me, I do take active concern for the well being of all my patients."

Eden stood there trying not to roll her, no, Gregnol's eyes. "I'll go, the less googly-eyed men we have on this, the better I Think. I mean I happen to be a man right now but I'm normally a woman and my interests don't swing that way."

"I'll go too," Beya volunteered. "I think that will make the group look a little less threatening, and," she cast a skeptical look at their patient, "if he keels over, there'll be someone to help the Doctor carry him back."

Looking back and forth between them, The Texan started to get annoyed. "This ain't my first rodeo." Then, looking over to Ruben, he asked, "If I'm going to be kept here, may I at least have my gauntlet, I could see if Becca can find anything."

“She knows nothing. I asked her when you first appeared. She was unable to assist.” The Captain revealed with a shrug. It made no difference they now had a plan of attack; Meghan was the only logical explanation. Gregnol shook his head, he had thought one or two would come along but now it was practically an arm. “No one is going anywhere as Michael cannot move, we need to get Meghan to come here unless the doctor here says he is able to leave.” He mused thinking that Vinny could be used to bring the woman down to sickbay under the guise of a check-up.

Vinny took a sip of his coffee and swallowed, listening to everyone voice their thoughts, concerns, and frustrations. "I would prefer for Mikey to stay put. He's much better, but not ready to leave Sickbay, ready. Maybe tomorrow. Also, I think if we March all together looking for Miss Massachusetts, that may frighten her and potentially cause something worse. I'll call her down, we seem to have a good relationship. Just let's spread out, look busy and not ready to pounce."

Vincent looked around the room then activated the internal ship comm to Meghan's room. "Miss Massachusetts, this is Doctor Anjes. Could you come down to Sickbay for me, please?"