Rescue Squad pt 2

Posted on Thu Dec 12th, 2019 @ 8:49am by Petty Officer 2nd Class Halla Dezom (*) & Commander Adamya Ryon & Major Levi Drake
Edited on on Thu Dec 19th, 2019 @ 4:20pm

Mission: Cosmos
Location: Daucina - Seabase
Timeline: 2396
1581 words - 3.2 OF Standard Post Measure

"Agreed. We are walking into an unknown situation, no reason to walk us into an ambush point without reason."

Levi took the motion from the commander as signal to move forward. He wordlessly gave the command to advance, taking point himself as the squad leader. Fifty meters in theory wasn't a big distance to traverse, but he knew from training and experience that it could be as good as a mile in the wrong circumstances. He kept his eyes peeled as the Private to his right took up position a few feet from his shoulder.

"Keep 'em peeled," he growled into his communicator, reminding the team with him to stay alert. "What's the word on the power systems? We're going nowhere if the turbolifts are unpowered."

Halla ever the professional was crouched at the console and shook her head. "No power but there is access down." She murmured the wind that was now coming around the communication array whipping her hair up into a frenzy. "There is an access tunnel but you are not going to like how I can get it, open Sir," Halla said with a glance at the water that was around them. She was thinking back to the Sea Base she had served on in-between Viking and Camelot.

"Just tell me if the turbolifts are an option," Levi grunted, wanting to know if his first option was possible before he considered alternatives. "We're sitting ducks until we've got power and cover."

"I'm reading power fluctuations, but the turbolift seems to be in working order... for now," Ryon explained.

"But I am unable to get the turbo lift to us," Halla explained standing up from her position looking at the nearest Marine. "Can you help me." She said pulling out a
device to able to open the doors by hand. Between the Marine and the Petty Officer, they managed to get the door open.

"Watch out." The Marine said pulling Halla back as the pair looked down and just saw open space.

"It is empty but we should be able to climb down," Halla said wishing she had been able to do show them the cool feature of the Starbase.

"If we're climbing down we're going to have to check each floor and post spotters above and below the group," Ryon nodded. Giving a warning to the rest, he added, "The last thing we want is to be caught off guard while we're all repelling." During the Dominion War, he had been part of a team that had been ambushed in a similar situation. It was not a memory that he was keen to relive.

"I'm lead," Levi said firmly. "Stick to the formation: Starfleet center, marines bracketing. We keep moving as best we can." He eyed the cavernous shaft. "And whatever you do, don't look down," he added, stowing his weapon and lowering himself into the hole to start their descent.

"Already did Sir," Halla muttered taking in a deep breath as she closed her eyes for a moment before she grabbed hold of the ladder. It was a short descent before the stopped turbo lift blocked access any further and they were forced into a corridor.

Levi's eyes strained to see anything in the dark. "It's narrow through here. Hard to reposition if we need to." He glanced over at the marine next to him, motioning him forward a little. "Help me out here, Halla. Which way?"

The woman raised an eyebrow at him calling her by her first name but pointed down the corridor. "Left and through the lab. We should be able to find another turbo lift to either use or climb down hopefully further." She said softly hoping that the lab was clear.

"All right, listen up," Levi growled at his marines, momentarily annoyed with himself for the slip with the Petty Officer's name. "We're walking in blind here. We go nice and slow, call out any hostile activity, but hold fire until we confirm threat. There's Starfleet crew down here, too, and it wouldn't do nice if we shot them up." He tapped Rodriguez on the shoulder. "You're point man here, Private. Move out."

Setting themselves back into formation, Levi let the younger man advance a few paces ahead. Although he might have taken the lead himself, there were operational risks in the squad leader being too gung-ho. Better to operate just behind so he had more time to assess and respond.

The group advanced to the corner, where they could finally get a look at the lab entry point. The doors themselves were caved-in, as though something big and strong had repeatedly smashed at it until finding a way through. Levi grimaced at the sight.

"Movement...behind!" a call rang out from the rear of the party.

Fighting the urge to shoot first, Ryon turned to the indicated direction with phaser in hand. "What have you got?" the Chief of Strategic Operations asked.

The scientist in the group span around as the thing moved into the light of the flashlights and she was faced with a being unlike one she had seen before. She pulled out her tricorder trusting that the others would protect her for a moment. "What is it?" Halla commented on looking at the others. "This scan says it...it's Andorian."

"Andorian?" Ryon repeated, skeptical. Keeping his phaser trained on the creature, he asked mostly rhetorically, "What were they doing here?"

"Not so close, we don't know-" Private Lopez didn't get to finish his concerns as something suddenly grasped hold of his harness and yanked him hard off his feet and into the darkness. His screams were shrill, yet short-lived as they stopped suddenly after.

"Marines, cover positions!" Levi snarled, breaking from his position at the front to address the situation happening behind them. As he'd feared, getting caught in the open had been a bad situation. One he should have foreseen. With Lopez suddenly out of the picture he was a man down and still none the wiser as to his adversary. Grabbing Ryon's shoulder he tugged. "Move! Into the labs. We're all sitting ducks out here."

Not having to be told twice, Ryon followed the Marine into cover. As a Dominion War veteran, doing as the Marines did was one of the first survival lessons that he had learned. The Bajoran kept his phaser at the ready, firing blindly into the black would not help anyone. "The lab should have Jeffery Tube access, we can climb down from there."

The door slammed shut on the being allowing the small group some respite for the moment. Halla stayed quiet as she moved into the familiar lab and stopped dead as she saw the body lying in the middle of the holo table. "That is the second officer." She said seeing who it was under all the blood and decomposition that had been occurring in the moist atmosphere that told her somewhere there was a bay door open allowing water in more than normal.

"Entrances and exits." Levi motioned to his men, signalling that they should secure every possible way in-and-out of the room. Finally, he turned back to the Starfleeters, who had congregated near the holo-table and its grisly occupant. "Someone better tell me what the hell that was that just took out one of my boys, because it sure didn't look much like an Andorian. Some lab experiment?"

"It would not surprise me at all." Halla shrugged. She had left the base because something had not felt right at all. "I do not know but that thing was wearing a Starfleet uniform. I think it was the crew." She said scanning the body that was on the holo table.

"You used to work here, right? What sort of research would a Federation station be doing that could turn someone into...that." Levi motioned back the way they came. "And is there a way to reverse it?"

"A year ago. I told you that I left because something did not feel right. I did not like the way the Officers whispered in corners and I never knew what was going on. I'm a lowly technician." Halla commented on looking at everyone as they stared at her.

Levi scowled a little, partly at himself for letting the situation get out of hand. They'd come in blind, with no support and minimal exit strategy. "Until we have a solution, I want weapons on heavy stun. If it looks like it's going to eat you, put it down," he said to his men. Then he turned back to the Officers. "We still need to find the rest of the crew and get them out. Any ideas?"

"If this was me. I would head to Engineering try and brighten the place up." Halla said with a shrug offering up her suggestion.

"How far is Engineering?" Levi asked. It wouldn't make sense to abandon a defensive position unless they were sure it was a better option.

"15 decks down or so." The Petty Officer said quickly calculating where they were and how far they would need to travel. It would not be easy but it was possible.

"Engineering, then." Levi accepted the suggestion. "Rodriguez, you're lead. Let's get moving."

OFF::

Commander Adamya Ryon
Chief Strategic Operations Officer
USS Cosmos
(PNPC McIntyre)

Petty Officer 2nd Class Halla Dezom
Scientific Lab Technician
USS Cosmos
(PNPC Gregnol)

Lt Levi Drake
Marine Contingent
USS Cosmos
(PNPC Ford)