U.S.S. Merrimac [landing party]

[BrianM]

  Oops ... sorry I thought I had the syntax correct to include the +11. Total should be 16.

[tomcat]

Doc's eyes widened slightly at his medical scanner's readings. He had pointed it in the direction of the small Botanical Control Room and was receiving the readings of a human male who appeared to be going through coronary arrest. The scanner also was linked to the EVA suit that protected the man, and its bio-readouts identified him as Lietenant (jg) Phillips. Sherman pressed forward in pursuit of his other three shipmates. He had a life to save.

The doors to the Botanical Control Room opened immediately for Sorek, the hidden proximity sensors triggering them. The room was pitch black save for the numerous glowing lights of the control panels. Suddenly the overhead lighting system flickered to life and the room was bathed in light. On the floor, near the enviro-control panel lay the form of Phillips. He was not moving.

[donimator]

Sorek immediately took stock of the situation and the personnel with him. His immediate thought was to move to Phillips, but the Doctor and his staff would be much more effective. He wanted to ascertain the status of the environmental controls and try to figure out why the atrium had an atmoshpere that was not picked up from the Columbia. Telek though, and his team knew those systems inside and out and could be more effective at getting answers. He did what most good commanders he worked under did. He stepped out of the way and let the personnel do their jobs.

"Doctor. In here. Mr. Telek, determine the status of the controls and see if power and operations are functioning as expected from this room. Crewman...stand ready." He called out to the remaining crew in the hall, "Hold positions while we work in here." He would wait for Doctor Sherman to make a prognosis before reporting back to the Captain. He would give Telek and his team a moment to get a handle on the control functions...why did each second seem an eternity?

[BrianM]

Doc barged into the control room, roughly pushing past Sorek and making his way over to the prone form of Philips. Having already assessed the situation, he dropped to his knees beside Philips, pulling an injector from his kit, which he applied through the thinner material on the neck area of Phillips' EVA suit.

There was no way to defibrillate through the heavy suit, and despite the reports of a viable atmosphere, Doc was unwilling to expose Phillips to possible toxins. Hoping the drugs would help, Doc took a deep breath and began administering CPR, while keeping an eye on the readout of his medical tricorder.


First Aid attempt on Phillips - This dice roll has been tampered with!
Rolled 2d6+10 : 4, 2 + 10, total 16

Doh! I didn't tamper with the die roll ... I just corrected a spelling mistake! 

[tomcat]

Doc worked in silence, although the sound of his own breath filled his helmet. He watched the small medical tricorder that he had sat on the deck, next to Phillips, but the displays did not look promising. Sherman realized that he was successfully moving the man's blood by providing artificial cardio pumps, but he also knew that the young security officer was not breathing on his own and there was no way to provide artifical breaths - not through his helmet visor. To open the shield would be immediate death for the man.

Two more of Sherman's team fell in beside him on the floor and tried to give aid as they could. One medic increased the release of oxygen within the suit so that Phillips would have more air to breath, if they could get him to breath on his own, while the other reached into his medkit and pulled out his hypo. He loaded a stimulant cartridge that was like the human bodies natural adrenaline. The goal was to kick start the man's heart. Between the meds and the CPR given by Sherman, the added air, and the stimulant, it was the best that they could provide for the man within the vacuum of the Mac.

While the doctors worked, Telek, after a moment of watching, heeded Sorek's orders and moved to the command controls. After a moment of cursory glances and quick mental analysis, he had an idea of the ship's environmental situation within the atrium along with a sense of power output.

"Mr. Sorek, based on the displays here, I can see that the Merrimac's auxilliary power reactor has been dedicated to environmental programs. All other systems have been disabled. You can see here, sir... 75% to comp-core, 18% to environment, 4% to lighting, 3% to temperature. I can say that the way it is set up, there is nothing for shields and so the UV radiation would have killed everyone aboard this ship. Also, with the ship opened up the way it is - structurally - I don't know how anyone could have stayed comfortable with only 3% of the power going to maintain heat. If they didn't suffer from radiaion poisoning, they had to have frozen to death." Telek shook his head. "The other strange thing, sir, is that the botanical chamber shows readings of carbon-based lifeforms... plants to be sure, a liveable atmosphere, along with a thermostat reading of 82 degrees. If they ran to the botanical atrium to wait it out, it looks like they would be able to survive. The plant life would provide some sorts of foods. I hear that some of the ships even keep animals - so maybe they had those to use for food, too."



For Phillips, the stimulant given by the medic will add a bonus 1d6 to Doc's roll. If the combined results are better than a TN 20, Phillips will wake up. Otherwise, he slowly fades out even with all the help from the doctors.

Rolled 1d6 : 1, total 1

I will post again with a narrative based on the results.

[tomcat]

Doc watched the erratic signs on his med sensor, as Phillip's heart violently heaved due to the stimulants that had been given by the medic. He continued to pump but no normal, natural rhythym was happening and Phillips slowly faded away. It took another five minutes before Sherman would stop. The medic beside him clicked off the bio scanner that once flashed with vital signs, and the helmet light within went dark shading the dead man's face.

Sherman leaned back on his heels, awkwardly moving in the bulky EVA suit, but needing to stretch his bent old knees. He was frustrated. He had just lost one of their team mates and he had no idea why. Phillips was young and healthy according to his physical data on the doctor's tricorder. What could have caused him to go into coronary arrest? Doc's mind joked, 'Something must have scared him to death!'

With a look of semi-disgust, Sherman looked over to the non-moved Vulcan who was in deep discussion with the Andorian engineer. Both were completely unaware that Phillips was no longer with them, and he wondered if either really cared.

[BrianM]

With a sigh, Doc pulled himself up to his feet and walked over to Telek and Sorek. When the Vulcan didn't immediately notice him, Sherman cleared his throat loudly and announced "He's dead, Sorek." After a pause, the doctor added "We couldn't do anything in the time we had with him sealed in his suit. Cause of death is unknown. There's nothing apparently wrong with him. We'll have to take a closer look back in sick bay."

With that, Doc turned back to his staff, ordering them to get the body back to the shuttle, prepped for transport.

[tomcat]

I am really getting to like the in post dice roller, rather than the Menu bar dice roller! It creates a bit more suspense for me when I do my posts. Although, I hate it when I do a post with a dice roll, only to find out I really messed up on the words, grammar, or something. Then I have to dump the results and do it all over again - otherwise I get the TAMPER icon! Can't have that!

[donimator]

Sorek looked without expression at Doctor Sherman as he gave his report. A crewmember lost under his orders...Sorek had sent him to his death and they were no closer to finding out if it was the same cause as killed the crew or something else...How many more would he send to die before he figured this puzzle out...? "Thank you, Doctor. I am sure you did everything you could. Prioritize the body's return to the Columbia and have your staff work to find cause of death. It may speak to the risk we are all under here."

He returned his attention to Telek, but could not help stealing a momentary glance at the lifeless suit splayed out on the control room floor. "Lt. Telek, we need immediate access to the botanical atrium. We do not want to vacate it's atmoshpere. Does it have a functioning airlock? If not we will have to establish a temporary one immediately. Please make the necessary preparations."

Sorek toggled his communicator, "Sorek to Columbia. Lt. Phillips has been located with no vital signs. Cause of...death is unknown at this time. We have secured the Botanical Control room and are preparing to advance to the Atrium."

Sorek left those in the small room to their tasks and stepped out into the hall. More bodies. He noticed his EVA suit had compensated with a richer oxygen mix as he focused on returning his breathing to a normal rate. With the security team still posted as directed, he looked as nervously at the atrium door as he did up the dim hallway ahead.

[tomcat]

Like Stonn, Sorek was also completely overwhelmed by something that touched his mind. His human side was filled with emotion of love and caring - something that Sorek had spent years subduing. Whatever it was, it gave the impression of nothing but kindness and the desire to help. It tore Sorek up inside as his mind strove to retain his Vulcan stoic logic, and his humanity reaching out in return.

While he wrestled with himself, a voice suddenly spoke in his helmet's comm. It spoke to all of the crewmen that stood close by, "You are welcome to enter. Please come."

The voice was distant, as someone talking in a reverberating hall. It was female. And it was non-threatening... almost gracious.

[donimator]

Sorek struggled to regain control and, again, found his heart racing. He looked around, hoping nobody had noticed and was surprised to see them all reacting to the voice. Had they all heard it? Control. He must regain control.

"Steady up and remember your training. Focus on your tasks. Logic would indicate that an alien entity is trying to coerce our actions. Follow orders or we may all end up as the Merrimac's crew. Lt. Telek. Secure an airlock on the botanical atrium so that we may enter." Sorek hated descending to melodrama to try and make a point, but Starfleet pyschology classes and briefs heralded its limited effectiveness in times of crisis or indecision. He hoped he, above all, could maintain the strength of mind to resist this strange force.

[BrianM]

Doc had remained in the control room after sending the medics back to the shuttle with Philips' body. When he heard the voice, he immediatly scanned the other crew in the room to see if the others had heard it. Apparently they had, and Sherman noticed a particularly odd expression on the face of the Vulcan. Was that emotion? For a fleeting moment Sorek looked almost ... happy ... before his usual stoic face returned.

Whatever was here was messing with their minds. The doctor pictured the dead eyes of the young crewman he had seen when they first left the shuttle bay. "I'm not so sure we want to follow those instructions without knowing what's in there, Sorek."

[donimator]

"Doctor Sherman!" Sorek was letting too much emotion into his voice. He paused a moment as he glanced from face to face quickly. He continued in a cold, controlled tone, "Doctor Sherman. Whatever we heard, it was our intention to investigate the atrium from the outset. Lt. Telek will establish an air lock so we don't vent its atmosphere and we will continue with our mission."

The urge to reach out and search for that presence again was overwhelming, but Sorek had spent a lifetime exercising control. Nerves were fraying and he had to keep this mission moving. As soon as the entry to the atrium is secured, Sorek will lead them in.

[tomcat]

With an echoed whisper, the voice returned in all of their helmets, "There is no need for an airlock."

To the surprise of both the security crewman and engineer standing by the botanical atrium entrance, the door opened of its own volition. Within was immediately seen large growths of vegetation, larger than anything that would have normally grown. Moisture and heat was also present along with an atmosphere of oxygen and nitrogen contained behind some hidden, unknown barrier.

The security crewman slowly reached out his hand until it broke the plane of the entrance - nothing deterred his reach, nor did anything react to his effort.

Doc was still reacting to Sorek's emotional display, when the door opened. Both Columbia officers turned to look and slowly started to walk back towards where Telek's engineer crewman stood.

[donimator]

Sorek stopped in his tracks as the door opened. The crew turned to look to him and he was, for the moment, at a loss. He was about to hail the Captain to advise on their course of action when the message came through from Downer for his ears only:

"Columbia to away team. Cmdr. Sorek...an unknown entity has entered our systems. Commander Grahm has ordered all contact with the Merrimac to be cut...You'll be on your own for awhile, Commander. Be safe. Please acknowledge."

He fought down his emotions. The fear. The responsibility. The wonder. Cmdr Grahm? Where was the Captain? "Acknowledged."

There was no time to explain Columbia's predicament. It would not advance their cause here and would only breed further distraction and uncertainty. Their investigative mandate was clear and until they encountered a physical threat he would continue. (But Phillips...what happened to him?)

"We will continue into the atrium. This...voice is an unknown presence that must be guarded against. Pair up and focus on your partner. Keep each other under constant watch and confirm all actions amongst yourself. Crewman, you are with me. Lt. Telek, partner with a security officer and follow me in after a moment. Doctor. Please remain outside...you are the next ranking officer should anything...Let's go."

Sorek stepped into the atrium with the security crewman and immediately activated his suit's tricoder looking for differences from the readings taken outside. Although he would much rather have been holding his phaser as the security officer was.

Sorek's Tricoder check
Science (Life/biology) +6, +2 spec., +5 Tricoder = +13
EVA suit -2, Winded -1 Total: +10

Rolled 2d6+10 : 4, 4 + 10, total 18

Provided, of course, nothing observed or physical would make another action more... logical