BAM! POW! Straight to the Moon of Andoria!

Posted on Tue Jun 30th, 2020 @ 12:38pm by Captain Enalia Telvan & Commander Rita Paris & Lieutenant Commander Mnhei'sahe Dox & Lieutenant Commander Thex sh'Zoarhi & Lieutenant Commander Sonak & Lieutenant JG Tovanna Mah
Edited on on Tue Jun 30th, 2020 @ 12:38pm

Mission: Heart and Soul
Location: USS Hera, Deck 1, Bridge
Timeline: 2397

As the USS Hera slid smoothly out of warp like buttered pearlescent silk at the edge of the system, Enalia smiled over at Thex who was in the engineering station on the bridge, which was an oddity in and of itself, even if it wasn't the beginning of the dayshift.

From Operations Ensign John Jones piped up almost immediately. "Captain, the Imperial Guard has sent a message asking us to declare our business in the system."

The captain allowed a hint of a grin to grace her lips - the game of bureaucracy had already begun. "Tell them that we're here to allow our Andorian crew shore leave and to peruse the Andorian cultural, natural, and governmental databases via a direct orbital link. We have a scientific interest in their wildlife and historical sites and wish to research several of them while we're here."

After a moment, Ensign Jones replied once more. "They confirm our declaration and have granted us passage to point Ada-six for customs scans. Our place in line is forty two and the wait time is... Ah, sorry captain, the wait time is estimated to be three local hours."

The Trill woman pursed her lips and wondered if this was normal. "If this is standard procedure for them then it's in the spirit of Starfleet and the Federation to comply with all local guidelines and directives. Helm, follow their course and line us up for customs scans. In the meantime, let's make sure we don't have anything scannable that they would consider to be contraband."

"Aye, Captain. Course laid in." Ensign MacNeille said from the helm.

Thex at her station was looking through the info that was coming in. It seemed that Andorian religious and separatist season had happened in the same month this year. Multiple bombings attempted assassinations and several riots that had lead eighteen people dead. Thankfully the imperial guard had put the planet on lockdown and were now searching all incoming and leaving ships. " Well trust it to be rioting season when we decided to come back." She said looking over to her captain.

"That's why all the extra security? I guess it makes sense then," Enalia said as she accepted a PaDD from her new Yeoman that Commander Paris had assigned her - a young man she had found processing comm requests on deck 24 that looked like he was still too young for the Enlisted Academy.

"Wait... They're looking for resins? Makeshift weapons and explosives? Not real ones?" At Enalia's outburst the poor lad looked like he was about to wet himself, so she made a mental note to take him aside later and see if she could work on his confidence or show him that she wasn't going to hurt him or... Something. Try and figure the kid out.

Meanwhile, they had an inspection to get through so she sent the list over to Sonak's station through Heranet Messenger. "That does make sense though - this vessel, while it has massive firepower and arms aboard, they're all registered and traceable. Makeshift weapons and resins used in improvised explosives that can't be traced would be ideal for... whatever movements you'd want to support. Commander Sonak, if you'd be so kind as to scan the ship and make sure we don't have any of those resins building up in any part of the Hera, please?"

The Vulcan complied as he spoke.

''Such resin is a byproduct of matter and antimatter reaction decay. But it has to be deliberately extracted on a live power plant and kept in a magnetic containment field or else it is consumed by the reaction itself.''

After a moment he turned towards the command dais.

''Scanners do not show any such substance aboard and no magnetic containment unit outside of the warp core itself, as expected on a starship. Since engineering is a restricted area, it is logical to assume with all this data that any search will in fact clear us.''

Thex was about to reply but leaned back in her chair feeling her head as a stabbing pain appeared between her eyes. As her head felt weak and heavy her vision blurred as the image of the bridge flowed and was replaced before her eyes.

Her eyes darted open and she immediately began to panic. She was lying on a cold metal table with some instruments of unknown make bearing down upon her. As a long sharp blade began to emerge from one she started screaming as loud as she could as it stabbed own towards her eye.

The thunk filled the bridge as she fell from her chair onto the floor still screaming as she did so. Her eyes darted around the room as she realized where she was as she tried to steady her breathing.

The first officer was already there, taking her hand as her other hand tapped her badge. "Medical emergency to the bridge!"

Looking down, the concerned commander decided against a yellow alert, as no one else seemed to be suffering any malady, and instead she focused on the chief engineer. "Thex? What's wrong, what happened? Are you alright?"

Sonak stayed at his post as he spoke.

''She has been subjected to a rather sudden and intense telepathic transmission.''

"I was in the factory again Rita. £$£% I could feel the needle going through my eye." Thex said as she steadied herself in the chair. "Someone's calling me there. They want me to stop it."

"A psychic distress call is still a distress call," added the Trill captain, whose finger had been hovering over the alert activation panel on her chair. "Discreetly scan for anomalous readings in the system. I want as few surprises as possible."

Sonak nodded.

''Affirmative, Captain. Starfleet General Order 6 does not require any specific form of transmission and compels us to answer immediately. Even the Treaty of the Neutral Zone recognizes the necessity of a distress call from Federation citizenry.''

As he spoke, he was manning his sensors and looked at the readout before reporting.

''There is no anomalous reading from sensors. However, the EM band still registers a faint trace of residual psionic activity between us and the location of Andoria. The echo of the transmission, Captain.''

Dr. Mah strode out of the turbolift with her medkit in hand dropped to her knees and was beside her patient, "Thex stay still please". She had her tricorder in hand going over Thex and looked to Commander Paris, "What happened?"

"She zoned out then collapsed screaming, apparently from a psychic vision she received. From there it's all on you, Doctor," Paris reported.

Dr. Mah nodded and finished her scan of Thex, "Your neurological system has been shocked, as if having suffered a physiological trauma, and your body function's are reacting in kind. How are you feeling?"

" Like someone stabbed a spike through my eye." Thex said as she steadied herself in the chair feeling some relief at the room temperature feeling on her back.

Mah nodded, "I can help with that," she applied a cold compress to the back of Thex's head, "you will want to take this pain med for the lingering headache. In the meantime can you tell me what happened? If I didn't know any better I would be looking for a physical injury."

" I don't know what happened doc. One moment I was here then the next I was on an operating table having a spike stabbed through my eye. " The andorian replied steadying her breathing.

The doctor looked taken back, "Well that would explain the stress readouts, that couldn't have been pleasant on any level." She pulled out her pen light and looked into Thex's eyes to ensure her body did not have sympathetic symptoms. Everything looked clear, "Your eyes look okay which means your brain got to have all the fun but, did not pass on the physiological effects. That's the good news, the bad news, I have no idea why this happened. What I can tell you is this is not good for you to keep repeating so this was a one time deal. If you do this again we will be tracking it vial neural monitoring to see what is going due to the severe physiological reactions. I can't allow one of my favorite dancers getting knocked off her feet, alright?"

The Andorian nodded. " If it happens again you'll be the first person I'll inform doctor." She said doing her best to relax in her chair.

Sonak addressed the physician in his trademark monotone.

''It was the result of a powerful alien telepathic intrusion, Doctor. So alien it affected her physically, and so powerful even I with my limited telepathy felt it. I can help the Lieutenant Commander in strengthening her mental barriers; on the long term with diligent training, but on the short term by being in proximity and able to physically link our minds to share the brunt of it.''

Dr. Mah nodded, "Excellent, keep me advised if the situation calls for further intervention."

"All right people, let's clear the bridge, please," Paris asked, for her, an order. "Landing party convene on the flight deck, pad 7, full EVA suits with Andorian adaptations."

"Let's get down there, and find out just what the hell is happening on Andoria."

''Acknowledged, '' Sonak answered crisply.