Break Down

Posted on Sun Apr 18th, 2021 @ 7:51pm by Commander Alexis Agrax (*) & Commander Christopher Mitchell & Lieutenant Asher Davis

Mission: Cosmos
Location: New Rixx
Timeline: 2396
1446 words - 2.9 OF Standard Post Measure

Alexis woke with a start in the semi-darkness and looked over at her roommate still sound asleep. What had woken her up? She glanced around but everything seemed like it had however many hours before but something had woken her up. “Get off me!” She heard someone screaming in the distance. “Chris… Christopher!” She hissed jumping up going to the door as the screaming got closer and closer. She pressed the door release and saw Ensign Melal Davis being manhandled by two Marines. The woman looked scared but not a danger to anyone.

"Hmm?" Christopher himself was in a deep sleep and barely coming around.

“What is going on?” Alexis demanded not caring how fuzzy her head was nor that she stood there in half a uniform.

“I was trying to scan Drake and these two grabbed me.” She cried as the Marines gripped her harder, making the tricorder fall from her grip.

"Drake? Why were you scanning the Major?" Christopher yawned.

"Answer!" One of the Marines barked sharply.

"Hey. You're out of line soldier. Fetch the Major," Christopher snapped back, now more awake. "Davis. Are you okay?"

The Marine snarled at the Security Chief and Executive Officer but said nothing disappearing off to find the Major. "The Commodore instructed me to scan..." The Trill winced as she reached over to grab up the tricorder. "She instructed me to scan anyone who was not showing symptoms." It was easy to see that the woman was shaken up by the experience of being manhandled by the two marines. They were all meant to be on the same side. She looked over and spotted her husband coming over. She stood up a bit straighter and took a few deep breaths. "Are you okay?"

Asher put his hands over his ears, everyone was talking at once and that didn't include the people who were actually trying to get his attention in person. "Just peachy. If everyone would shut up. I can't concentrate. So many voices."

"You were scanning Major Drake?" Christopher repeated back, trying to establish some clarity. That made a little sense; the Marine CO had been strangely unaffected by the illness. "Did you find anything?"

Alexis had some sympathy for the man but kept them to herself. She did not want anyone to pry on her own mental turmoil nor the noise around her that was becoming a constant roar around her. Melal passed over the tricorder as she shook too much to be able to look at the figures and the facts that it was showing. “Sorry Sir. I...” Melal murmured as she moved to Asher to check on him. Alexis frowned and moved over to the executive officer as she saw the Marines coming over.

Levi marched in just ahead of the same two marines as before. He snapped a sharp look, habitually, to the senior officers in the room. Then he noticed the junior ones.

"Want to explain why officers are being manhandled by your marines, Major?" Christopher asked pointedly. Levi paused, before glancing over at the man by his shoulder, silently asking the same question.

"She was scanning you, Major. With the camp in quarantine, it was suspicious." The marine gave a look of disdain at Melal. "Shouldn't be poking around where she isn't wanted."

Levi whirled on the man in a heartbeat.

"You want to go, Marine?" He snapped. The two marines were both taller and heavier-set than Levi, but neither one looked prepared to go toe-to-toe with him. Their postures shot into attention by instinct, their eyes locked forwards.

"N-no sir..."

"Take a walk. Both of you. Run the perimeter twice and then report to Sergeant Hicks." Levi paused a breath. "Now!" At the shouted order the marines scuttled very quickly out of the room. Levi turned back to the Starfleet officers staring at him in silence. "I'm sorry you went through that. Everyone's on edge. Paranoia...it's like discipline and reason are a distant memory for some of them." He looked over at the Ensign. "Are you hurt?"

Alexis had moved to square up to the Marine. She could take them on, her size was deceptive and it was her greatest tool against most people. She had a moments relief when the Marine backed down and disappeared off. "I am fine Sir." Melal lied holding her wrist. She did not want anything to do with the Marines at the moment. "I was scanning everyone." She muttered looking a bit upset making Alexis move over to the young Trill. It was not like her to get upset at all, especially at something like that.

"The Commodore gave you the order you did the right thing." The Security Chief assured daring anyone to argue.

"Did you find anything?" Christopher asked. He'd not forgotten the Major's apparent immunity to whatever was affecting everyone else.

“I did not complete the scan before I was... removed. May I complete it please Major?” Melal wondered gently feeling better now that she was not going to be chucked somewhere or worse attacked anymore.

Levi half-shrugged, half-nodded his agreement.

“Thank you Sir.” The Trill murmured as she stepped away from her husband and started to the scan the marine.

"What do you think, Ensign?" Christopher asked after a moment.

“As the Commodre thought anyone who went onto the Seabase and especially yourself have a higher immune system. Something that happened to you all and was possibly influenced by what you were given to cure yourself of mutation has been magnified.” Melal said after a long moment of looking at stuff on the PADD she had with her. Alexis raised an eyebrow at that. Now understanding why the ensign had been chosen to check everyone she was uniquely placed as a scientist to have not been there. “Who else was there?”

"Halla," Levi said quickly. "Chief Dezom, that is. We were trapped in a lab together. I got infected and she figured out the cure. Saved my life."

"Could that be part of the immunity? Something about that cure from Daucina?" Christopher asked.

Melal nodded. She was pretty sure that what happened on the Sea Base had given them a natural immunity to the mutated virus that was now affecting the crew on the planet and the crow on the ship. It was the only logical course of action now for her to assume that. "I think … I'm a scientist. I’m not a doctor, but logically looking at it, it's the only explanation as to why you Major are not acting like your men. You and Halla…” she smirked a little before carrying on. “I mean the chief, I need to scan you both properly. Do you know where she is?” She wondered, thinking she had not seen the other Trill in hours.

"No idea," Levi replied. "Haven't seen her since we spoke to the Commodore."

Alexis frowned as she listened to the major that had to be 10 hours ago. She looked around and everyone had a blank expression. “So no one has seen her?” The Security Chief wondered looking down at her outfit. “Start looking for her. I will join in a moment.”

Levi nodded and marched immediately out of the room. Christopher looked over at Alexis. "You worried about her?" he asked quietly.

Alexis looked at the man strangely almost wondering for a moment why he was asking her that when it was obvious. She gave a helpless little shrug before she turned back to the room they came out of when they had heard the arguing. When the door closed behind them both she sat down on the sofa and started pulling on her uniform.

“Would you not be? You have seen how they acted toward Melal. She has not been seen since you spoke to Ehestri and that was the hours ago. She could have simply fallen asleep somewhere but I worry about people. The colonists are stable and we have enough people either awake to take care of the others to allow us to check on each other.”

"The marines are jumpy, but they're surely not stupid. And Major Drake has a good handle on things. I'm sure it'll all be fine," Christopher smiled reassuringly. "I'm going to grab a coffee and see you outside."

Alexis did not say anything as she watched him leave but as the door swished close she put her hand to her nose and wiped away the blood that was there. It was going to be a long day with the mental strain that she was feeling from the lack of control around her but she would be fine. It would not be for much longer she hoped.