The Transfer, Part One
Posted on Sun Feb 21st, 2021 @ 4:03pm by Lieutenant Kiam Aax & Lieutenant JG Tobias Jackson-Sanders & Ensign T'Varis & Commander Vox & Commodore Vaala zh'Vari
Mission:
The Relics of Isonzo
Location: Alpha Coelus VIII, Alpha Coelus System; Starship Zheng He; Starship Ulysses
Summary:
Timeline: Mission Day 1 at 1000
Three prisms of light resolved themselves into the shapes of three of the four founding member races of the Federation—an Andorian lieutenant, blue-skinned and with tricorder already out, a pointed-eared, green-complected Vulcan Security officer, and a human in a Starfleet sciences uniform. T’Varis took in the smells and sights of Alpha Coelus VIII; blue, grassy plants on thick stalks grew around their beam down point, a golden sun was shining in the afternoon sky, and perhaps one hundred meters away, a large herd of herbivores were grazing. The planet was pastoral, some might even say idyllic, to use an old human word.
“Anything on your tricorder or by your eyes, Ensign?” asked Charyth, the Andorian science officer of the Zheng He.
“No… Nothing… And yet…” T’Varis cocked her head in puzzlement. “I cannot help but be… Uneasy.” Something about the location didn’t seem right, almost as though T’Varis had dreamt this situation… What though, she couldn’t put her finger on.
Peters, the human, dressed in a crewman’s science uniform scoffed as he bent to examine one of the bluegrasses. “If I didn’t know you were a Vulcan, I’d say you were paranoid, Vari.” T’Varis let the comment past—she knew he thought he was, as Alex would have said, God’s gift to women—though she hoped Charyth would have chastised him. She was disappointed as peters went on, uninterrupted, “The plant is very fibrous, Lieutenant—should help us increase the quality of our uniforms by a—”
“Get back Crewman!” Peters had pulled up one of the blue, grass-like plants. Its unusually thick stalk had come up with a significant root system attached, now revealing a deep hole in the ground. A strange buzzing was coming from it, making the hairs on the back of T’Varis’s neck stand up. She pulled her phaser and pointed her left ear toward’s the hole. “Do you hear that?”
“Hear what? I don’t…”
Charyth was cut off as something black, shiny—and insect-like cross between a Terran scarab beetle and a wasp—came buzzing out of the hole. The thing was armored in some kind of shell, at least twelve centimeters long, and possessed a deadly-looking stinger. T’Varis fired on it without hesitation, bringing it down… This, however, was a mistake.
As though summoned by the blast, more of the insects came boiling out, flying straight for the away team. Swearing, Charyth turned and ran, tricorder capturing as much data as it could. Peters had frozen, seemingly petrified, and T’Varis grabbed him. “I wouldn’t recommend we let those sting us, Lieutenant.”
“I agree with you… Let's move!” The blue-skinned woman ran T’Varis and Peters behind her. The insects followed, more and more of them coming out in a thunderhead of buzzing, sonic vibration.
The herbivores had noticed now. One, a particularly large bull, raised his head, let out a loud bellow, then lead the whole herd in a running, mad, stampeding scramble away from the insects. T’Varis fired back, her phaser pulse bringing several of the insects down, but more kept coming.
“Charyth to Zheng He. Emergency! Request beam out, now!”
The transporter tech’s voice was distorted, as though coming through subspace interference. “Trying to lock on… You’ll have to remain still. Some kind of insectoid lifeform is creating a sonic pulse that’s scrambling all my sensors.”
“We can see them—I don’t know what…!” Peters fell; one of the insects had managed to pull ahead, and it was buried, stinger-first in his neck. He screamed and screamed, his body writhing. Then it began to melt, as though the stinger had delivered a dose of acid into his blood. The insect dropped dead out of his neck.
T'Varis scooped down, grabbed the dead insect, then ran, trying to give Charyth cover fire. She couldn’t let Peters's death impact her now—not when she and the Lieutenant were still in danger. He might have been an ass to use another Alexism—or was that a humanism?—but he was still a Starfleet officer.
Eventually, the two women reached the top of a small hill. Charyth took out her communicator. “Two… To beam out… We seem to have outrun them for now… Recommend you work fast, Mr. Wallenberg!”
“On it… Locked on, and…
The blissful tingle of the transporter engulfed them, just as a scream filled T’Varis’s ears with death.
T'Varis stood before the Commodore and Commander Vox, trying to keep her cool. "There was nothing I could have done, Commodore, Commander... They came too fast... I gave as much cover fire as I could, but..."
The blue-skinned Commodore raised a hand. "That's enough, Ensign..." She sat behind her desk and appraised the young Vulcan critically. "I'm sorry--it's never easy, losing a crewmember, especially..." She broke off, and Vox, seeming to know what she was thinking, moved beside her.
"I know there wasn't much you could have done, but I'm still mystified at how our sensors didn't pick up these lifeforms from orbit... That doesn't matter now--we've been given new orders... If you need time off, that's all right--Lieutenant Commander Needa will understand."
T'Varis held up her own hand. "Forgive the interruption, Commodore, but... I would like a transfer... Crewman Peters and I did... Not get along, and I have heard several female crewmembers complain about his behavior. I of course did not wish him death, but perhaps it would be better if--"
Vox nodded. "I understand, Ensign... Go to your quarters--get some rest. The Commodore and I will talk it over."
"Aye Sir..." The Vulcan rose, tiredly. "One request, if I may?"
Vox looked at her quizically. "Go ahead."
"I'd like to keep one of the insects--please."
The Commodore sighed and went over to her desk. "I hate losing good officers. But like you say. T'Varis isn't getting along with Peters, and a couple of other male crewmembers. She wants a transfer. That is the end of it." The Commodore dropped into her chair and stabbed at the comm key. The comm opened but she held.
"Apparently not... Do you think the Ulysses would be a good fit for her?" The good-natured Denobulan smiled an intellectual's cunning smile, dark eyes warm. Vox was like the cool Uncle to the Zheng He's crew, the witty banterer, and erudite politician. His arms clasped behind his back, he knew how to handle the far more laconic and direct Andorian. "I understand they're losing Commander Davies in their Security department."
"Caspian is a hothead," zh'Vari stated bluntly, "But I'd poach her from Bach if I could. They will need a new Deputy. So, let's get this done so we can focus on the logistics of the mission?" The Andorian eyed her colleague who was warmly pleasant in smile as he rocked on his heels. he assented with a nod. "Bridge, get me the , Ulysses."
After a moment, the visual pick-up showed the visage of a human man, a square jaw. "Please locate your commanding officer, Lieutenant. I want to speak to him," she stated evenly to Toby Saunders.
"Yes Ma'am," Toby responded with a polite smile, "Bridge to Captain Bach, incoming transmission from the Zheng He Sir, I've transferred it to your ready room for you."
The Captain's voice rang out from the comm. "Thank you, Lieutenant," Tobias Bach sighed, sweating. God, he hated sweating. "Computer, reset environmental controls to normal," he said in a huff. "And lock Torquemada out of them for Chrissakes," he muttered. Draping a silvery towel around his neck, the old man leaned to his desk as his comm panel blipped. It was zh'Vari's face. The two met eyes. "Commodore, what can I do for you?"
zh'Vari, ever blunt, had a steely gaze, her antennae impassive. All Andorians looked icy and stoic to Bach- so much body language was in their antennae. "I am transferring a Security Deputy to your vessel, along with five of the Federation News Network technicians. We are transporting most of the camp's infrastructure so you will transport the technicians. Understood?"
Bach pursed his lips, "Understood. Why are we getting this new officer? It's not exactly a wartime situation."
zh'Vari studied the man with the vague narrowing of an eye, "We have personnel in excess and you are losing your Security Chief. When your assistant steps into the role, you will not need to find a replacement. I have transferred the relevant data to your Yeoman Pool. zh'Vari out."
The screen blipped dark, showing the symbol of the Federation before it too faded. Tobias straightened, "Well alright then. Caesar has spoken." He sighed and mopped his face with his towel, checking the time. The sensor mapping operation would begin shortly.
