The Search Begins

Posted on 25 May 2016 @ 11:44pm by Commodore Harvey Geisler & Lieutenant Commander Camila Di Pasquale

765 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Outbreak
Location: Security Office
Timeline: MD 10 || 0900 hours

Harvey looked at himself in the mirror. He still didn't look like he'd fully recovered, but at least he felt better. For the first time in days he felt he could think clearly. He'd been released from sickbay just a half-hour ago, and while he had plenty on his mind, he wanted to at least freshen up.

And having done that, Harvey adjusted the pips on his collar before picking up his PADD and leaving his quarters. "Computer," he said as he walked down the corridor, "location of Lieutenant Di Pasquale."

"Lieutenant Di Pasquale is currently in the Security office," the computer replied.

That was simple enough, he thought, entering the nearby turbolift. Within a few minutes, Harvey had exited the lift on the proper deck and entered the security office to find the blonde lieutenant already at work. "Lieutenant Di Pasquale?" he asked, not knowing what he was interrupting.

Camila looked up from her terminal where she had been making notes on possible tactical strategies for the anticipated battles to come and immediately gave the Captain her full attention. "Yes, Captain?" she said. "How can I help you?"

"It's good to see you well," Harvey said, cracking an uncharacteristic smile. Without skipping a beat, Harvey raised and waved the PADD he was holding. "This has every reported case of this virus on New Risa and here on the Black Hawk. Curing it is one thing, but figuring out where it came from is another matter entirely."

"You as well, Captain," Camila said. "Although I didn't get whatever was going around. I think my SAR training has taught my immune system how to fight as well." She looked at the PADD he held, but since he was waving it around, she couldn't read what was on it. "Hasn't Medical been able to locate Patient Zero? Is that the right term for it?" She shook her head. "I would think that tracking the vector of a disease would always work backwards until you located the source of the infection. What do you need Security to do, Sir?"

"Find the source," Harvey simply replied. He tapped a couple buttons to recall some specific information on the PADD before handing it to Camila. "Three Wadi, a Karemma, and a Varanoid all died roughly around the same time. Any one of those five could be Patient Zero, and all five were employed on the surface when this all started."

She accepted the PADD and looked at the numbers and victims on it. "I'll assemble a team and get on it right away, Captain," she said. "I would prefer to use shuttles as we'll be able to cover more ground once we get back on the planet. I would think that three teams will be sufficient." She paused to pull up a roster of current active personnel in Security and nodded to herself. "I have just the people in mind, too. They're all fresh from being sick and I'm sure they want to track the person or persons down as well."

"You'll have whatever you need," Harvey said. "People, resources, hell, I'll even pull up a chair at a sensor station if it'll help. My gut says this is no accident."

Camila would have laughed at his offer, but she knew he was serious. "I think you would best serve by being on the ship and providing an example to everyone, Sir," she said respectfully. "I wouldn't be able to keep you safe while hunting down these people and that would mean that I'd be failing at my job."

Harvey arched an eyebrow. "I didn't think I needed to be guarded at a sensor station, Lieutenant. Besides, I might be out of sickbay, but I'm still under orders not to leave the ship. I doubt that gives you any room for failure." Smirking now, he added, "And, stepping onto the bridge for the first time in a few days will do a lot for the ship's morale. I fully intend to give my crew what they need most."

"Yes, Sir," Camila said. "I'll have to get someone from Medical on each squad, too." She picked out the personnel she wanted and sent orders for them to report to the flight deck.

"Good," Harvey approved. "The sooner this is done, the sooner we can get back to Unity."

Camila got up with the PADD in hand after she secured her terminal with the intent to turn Security over to the duty officer. "I'll find them and bring them back one way or another. After you, Captain," she said, indicating the door.

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