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Brownlock hopes De La Paz is right. He's getting more and more nervous with each passing second. He would appreciate an update from Delaney as to what's going on. Nigel hates being left in the dark like this. He wonders why someone -- either on the Yorktown or boarding party hasn't reestablished communications yet. Nigel would feel much better with some direction from the captain right about now.
Collins is snowboarding down Olympus Mons
Dr. Brownlock could use his suit's communicator to query the rest of the boarding party, down the corridor and near the large door, if he wished.
Collins has never felt better powder on Olympus Mons. It really is an amazing, if imaginary, ride.
Dr. Brownlock contacts Ens. Delaney and asks about their current status. He also asks about the vision of both Delaney and Mahmoud. Though Collins seems to be much better, Brownlock hopes to get the security officer back to Sickbay sooner rather than later. He wants Delaney and Mahmoud's eyes checked more completely as well. Nigel is sure that an alien vessel is not the best place for injured Starfleet officers under the circumstances. He sighs and once again monitors Collins and her vital signs.
Delaney's and Mahmoud's vision has not changed markedly in the past few minutes.
Collins's vital signs are stable.
Pourtash will follow Delaney's suggestion and start cutting larger holes through the door.
Collins suddenly finds herself in the command chair on the bridge, not the Yorktown or the Enterprise but a Constitution-class vessel none the less. Romulans are firing and she is taking them out one by one.
Pourtash cuts the larger holes. Within a few minutes, Fujishiro's tricorder scan indicates that the compartment on the far side of the door is now also airless.
Collins has the dream-realization that her ship is the USS Lollypop. It's a good ship. Then she's offered a glass of milk and Swiss cheese, melted on bread, by a little old man with a long beard. She can't quite explain it.
"Pressure is equalized. I recommend cutting through as quickly as possible," says Fujishiro. She also draws her phaser and shifts to a crouching firing stance.
Brownlock's interest in wilderness survival has definitely not prepared him for this! He plans to seriously rethink his career goal of a starship's CMO if and when he ever makes it back to the Yorktown in one piece. He contacts Delaney again, asking for at least one more security officer to keep watch over himself and Collins until they can be returned to the ship. He also requests that Delaney provide him with regular updates (as is possible) about what's going on and the condition of his vision and Mahmoud's. Nigel could use a glass of sherry right about now. Or perhaps something a bit stronger....
"Understood. Ready yourself." Pourtash will begin cutting through the door to open it. He'll stay as low to the side and ready to move as possible, likely being in the most dangerous spot for retaliation.
Delaney replies with all the information available. "Can we spare a security officer to assist Brownlock?" he asks?
The party has seven Security officers, counting Collins. One, De La Paz, is already guarding Dr. Brownlock and the unconscious Collins, and one, Mahmoud, is still partially blind. That leaves up to five available for reassignment if Pourtash sees fit.
Pourtash cannot cut through the heavy door with his phaser-2 with any speed, he soon realizes; the heavy phaser cutter would still be best for that. After less than two minutes, he has cut through the lock mechanism and opened the door. A short corridor leads beyond the threshold, turning to starboard and out of your line of sight about ten meters away.
I hope you all got the Shirley Temple and ST:TNG references in post 858.
Seeing no active opposition, Fujishiro quickly scans for traps and life-signs.
Now, Collins is tumbling down through what seems an endless hole in the ground. She passes odd characters on her way down, some of them muttering about being late for something.
Got the Shirley Temple thing - couldn't place the little beaded man with the cheese sandwich - more clues please.
Fujishiro finds no traps with her scan. The two lifesigns she noted before are now within 30 meters, more distinct than before - one alien such as those you've already seen aboard, and one human.
Collins is pleasantly lost in a surreal dream of rabbits, bottles and tea parties.
The bearded man is the grandfather from Heidi. Riker referred to the USS Lollypop as a ruse in an early ST:TNG episode.
Dr. Brownlock is glad for the report and hopes at least one more security officer can be spared to protect Collins and himself. He really wants to check Delaney and Mahmoud again regarding their eyesight condition. Perhaps with another security officer to guard Collins, he could join the others briefly for a quick bioscan of the injured officers. He awaits word from Delaney about this.
Fujishiro expresses surprise and confusion, "there's one alien and one human ahead." She'll wait for the others and then fall into the previous order to advance.
"Dr. Brownlock, I would welcome your help, but at this point the call is with Pourtash, this mission is too dangerous already for my continued command in an injured state."
Pourtash orders an additional Security guard, Spec/1 Russell, to go aft to assist Dr. Brownlock and De La Paz.
Fujishiro double-checks her tricorder readings and finds them unchanged.
Brownlock is quite relieved to have Spec/1 Russell join them. He requests that Pourtash allow first Delaney and then Mahmoud to come aft for a quick check of their eyesight issues. He will do what he can to speed their recovery, then send them back to the main boarding party ASAP. Brownlock awaits word from Pourtash regarding his request.
Collins is in a field. A few hundred yards ahead of her, sees a blue rectangular shape, partially obscured by the mist. As she walks towards it, she sees it is a very large box, big enough for one, maybe two, people, with a blinking red light on top.
Pourtash agrees with Dr. Brownlock's suggestion, then begins moving the able-bodied forward in their previous configuration.
"How could there be a human here?" he muses, extremely wary now, his phaser at the ready on stun.
Dr. Brownlock quickly checks the vision of Delaney and Mahmoud as best he can through their helmet visors. A medical tricorder scan shows their vision is a little better since the last time he checked. Both can now move without guidance from others, although their ability to distinguish between objects and other people more than a few meters away is still not ideal. A dose of Retinax-3 might help, but that's not among the two dozen or so drugs which Dr. Brownlock has in his hypospray vials.
Collins sees the box in her dream turn into a massive Chinese vase decorated with fierce-looking dragons. She becomes aware of a very unusual smell radiating from it, and watches in wonder as a solar eclipse takes place far overhead. There are two other moons in the sky... now three.
"Shall we advance, sir?" Fujishiro queries.
"Yes." Pourtash continues guiding the able-bodied forward.
Dr. Brownlock advises Ens. Pourtash on the conditions of Collins, Delaney and Mahmoud. He suggests that a way be found to return them to the Yorktown for further medical treatment. He tells Pourtash that all three are a liability to the mission in their current state. He awaits a reply.
Who advances with Pourtash, and in what order? You may remain two abreast in passing through the big hatch, and in the corridor beyond.
Dr. Brownlock's frustration is understandable, especially when he recalls that the boarding party is no longer in contact with the Yorktown, and cannot arrange for a beamout. Can he think of any other means of returning to the heavy cruiser?
The three moons in Collins's dream wheel and turn in the sky, much faster than any moon she has seen in real life. Suddenly she realizes that a man - her father? - is standing beside her, looking uneasy. The giant Chinese vase has disappeared.
Fujishiro will assume we're in the same order as before, with everyone moving up to replace the casualties. She'll have her tricorder out, with her focus divided between watching it and looking about with her eyes. She's expecting to draw her phaser, though.
"We need to keep moving, I fear we are doomed if we do not disable this vessel."
"With communications as they are right now the best thing I can do is try to get all of us off the ship as fast as possible, Dr. Brownlock. I'll continue to do that," Pourtash promises.
While they move forward he has Fujishiro abreast with him, keeping the others behind them in their previous order sans the wounded as mentioned. Pourtash has his phaser still out, letting Fujishiro focus on the scanning.
So your order would be...?
Advancing
Pourtash, Fujishiro
Bartlett, Nivens
Dodson
Mahmoud, Delaney
Remaining behind
De La Paz, Russell
Dr. Brownlock, Collins
Pourtash and Fujishiro carefully step through the door, with the Security guards in proper loose order behind them, all with phasers drawn. A short corridor leads beyond the threshold, turning to starboard and out of your line of sight about 10 meters away. You proceed forward. The energy readings on Fujishiro's tricorder are slightly increasing in strength as you go. The two life signs are unchanged. There is one door to either side of you.
The corridor turns again, to port, and ends in an archway about 20 meters away. There are small control panels to either side. Moments after you round the corner, you come under disruptor fire again. Pourtash is ready, and immediately returns fire.
Fujishiro will draw her phaser, still on a wide-beam stun setting, and fire back. If possible she'll slowly take a step or two backwards to let the security personnel have better aim.
Dr. Brownlock is only slightly less concerned and frustrated by Ens. Pourtash's promise. He will focus on caring for the wounded as best he can for now and hope a return to the Yorktown will be possible sooner rather than later.
The corridor is immediately filled with phaser and disruptor fire between the Starfleet party and what appears to be a single alien. Delaney and Mahmoud's vision is certainly acute enough now to see what's going on, and they both take cover. Within moments, Spec/2 Nivens is hit and falls to the deck.
Collins remains stable and dreaming.
Collins starts to stir.
Delaney drops and ducks.
Collins is still sedated but her vital signs are improving. Dr. Brownlock believes he could safely revive her, although she is not up to any physical challenges at the moment.
Delaney is missed by all the phaser and disruptor bolts flying back and forth.
Dr. Brownlock uses a hypospray with a mild stimulant to revive Ens. Collins. He asks Mr. Russell to give Collins an updated report concerning the status of the boarding party based on his knowledge of the security situation up to this point. If need be, he will contact the boarding party again for a more current report.
Collins listens to the report; her instinct to jump up and join the fray is thwarted by her lack of strength. She mutters a few epithets and lays back down.
Dr. Brownlock and the others have been listening to what's been going on through their helmets' open comm channel. You can all tell that the advance party is under fire.
Collins feels pretty good, under the circumstances, but has to admit she's a lot more comfortable when horizontal.
Dr. Brownlock is deeply disturbed by what he hears over the comm channel. He gives De La Paz and Russell the OK to rejoin the advance party if they are needed. He contacts Pourtash to ask if the two security officers should do so. He awaits a reply while fumbling to ready his own phaser -- just in case. He checks to make sure it's on heavy stun. Nigel hopes that he will not have to use the weapon, but will defend himself and Collins as best he can if worse comes to worse.
Pourtash stays low as he attempts to hit the alien firing at them, or at the very least provide enough cover fire to prevent anyone more in the party from being hit. If it looks like it's safe to move, he'll tell Bartlett to check on Nivens. He's looking for an opening should it be possible for the rest of the party to keep the alien pinned with their phaser fire while someone moves into a more strategic position.
When he can, he'll respond to Dr. Brownlock. "Nivens has been hit. De La Paz will stay with you, but send Russell."
Collins, from her spot on the floor, signals Pourtash "any more data on the human? I can analyze data from here - send whatever you have to my tricorder"
Russell goes forward to join the advance party. De La Paz remains with Dr. Brownlock and the reclining Collins.
Bartlett is able to drag Nivens away from the line of fire and back around the corner to safety. Breathing a little hard, he reports over the open channel, "Nivens's suit is breached on his upper right chest. I'll patch it, but I think he'll need medical attention."
Dr. Brownlock checks his medical tricorder's remote readout of Nivens's life signs and sees that he's unconscious, his heart rate is irregular, and his blood pressure is steadily dropping - all typical of a disruptor injury.
With his phaser-2, Pourtash hits the alien, who immediately drops to the deck and stops shooting.
With the pause in the firefight, Fujishiro quickly uses her tricorder to locate the previously detected human.
"Keep an eye on Collins," Dr. Brownlock tells De La Paz. "I need to check on Nivens." Brownlock moves forward until he reaches Nivens, giving him the best emergency care he can. He contacts Pourtash. "Nivens is in bad shape, Ensign. He requires advanced medical care right now."
Collins sits up against the wall and pays closer attention to the comm chatter. She also tries channel after channel trying to reach the Yorktown, even if only to send an S.O.S.
"Fujishiro, send your data on the human back to Collins. Are there any further life signs beyond the alien and the one human?"
"Understood, Doctor. Getting our injured off the ship is of upmost importance."
"Mahmoud, Delaney, report on your vision?"
If there are no additional life signs, another scan for any traps would be warranted and then they should begin moving forward. Russell, Dr. Brownlock and the injured Nivens to stay behind. Marching orders for those moving:
Pourtash, Fujishiro
Bartlett, Dodson
Mahmoud, Delaney
Collins reviews Fujishiro's data. More than ever, now, Jeremi wants access to the Yorktown's records; she again has that gut feeling that there is a mole in the crew. She does the best she can with the data in her tricorder hoping it will give her an answer.