The Hunt Begins
Posted on 17 Aug 2016 @ 5:04pm by Commander Terry Walsh & Lieutenant Commander Camila Di Pasquale & Lieutenant Commander Joey Geisler & Lieutenant JG Felix Langston & Lieutenant JG Catherine Cooper
Edited on on 21 Aug 2016 @ 2:01pm
4,248 words; about a 21 minute read
Mission:
Click Three Times
Location: Ship Wide
Timeline: MD 6 || 1350 Hours
Dramatis Personae
Lt. Commander Dr. William Godfrey, Chief Medical Officer, USS Chimera - Lt. JG Langston (Consortium)
Lt. Hannibal Owens, Chief of Security, USS Cochrane - Lt. JG Langston (Starfleet)
Lieutenant Nick Taggart, Counselor, USS Cochrane - Ens. Dzhossen (Starfleet)
Lieutenant Aulder, Helm, USS Cochrane - Lieutenant Di Pasquale - (Consortium)
Ensign Kal Jerrod, Science, USS Cochrane - Lt. Commander Walsh - (Consortium)
===[The Escape, Deck 4]===
The Bolian didn't know what hit him; one moment he was in his cell in the Brig and the next moment he was laying against the wall nursing yet another headache and wondering what happened to the lights. The stars he was seeing was pretty and all, but it wasn't the stars he was used to. He tried to get up and succeeded in falling over again and decided that crawling wasn't cowardice if there was no one to see him crawl in the dim emergency lighting. Emergency lighting crawled through his mind even as he crawled on the floor of his cell. He knew that meant something but not what it was and then he found himself in the small walkway between the cells among other bodies, some of whom were moving. Free! went through his mind. I'm free!
Aulder staggered to his feet and looked around before he spotted the doorway leading out of the detention area. Without waiting for anyone else, the Consortium agent stumbled out the door and into chaos. There were personnel running everywhere, small fires burning and shouted orders that conflicted with others. He didn't care in the least because it meant that fewer people would notice him. He decided that he needed to get to the flight deck, steal a shuttle and try to rendezvous with other agents. With that in mind, he headed for the nearest access hatch, crawled in and started to descend.
Dr. Godfrey was slumped over the bunk in his room. He slowly opened his eyes and looked up and around at his surroundings. Emergency lighting cast the room in dim shadows while EPS conduits shorted and sparked across the room. If the power got knocked out... he thought to himself. He struggled to get up, groaning in pain as he stood to his feet. He reached out to where the force field was, expecting to be thrown back, but his hand met nothing but empty air. "Ha ha!" he laughed to himself, "stupid Starfleet dogs." He then clutched his side. "Fractured ribs," he mentioned offhand to himself, "better try to get to get out of here." He slowly made his way out of his cell and into the corridor, trying his best to mingle with the officers from the Black Hawk.
Hannibal struggled to make it off the floor. The commotion had thrown him out of his bunk and flat on the floor. His mind reeled as he struggled to regain his senses. The Consortium agents, he thought as he looked up. Then, the horror dawned on him. They were gone! He pushed himself up and tried to regain his balance in a standing position. He nearly fell over, but caught himself using the wall for support. He slowly took one step after another out of the brig and down the hall, looking for the Consortium agents.
The young Bajoran was kneeling, hunched over his bunk, as he slowly opened his eyes. His gut was sore and his left shoulder hurt. That meant that he was still alive. The gut pain was obvious, but the shoulder pain wasn't. At any rate, he could still move it. As he stood, he noticed that the lighting was dim in the brig. He slightly cocked his head to the side and wondered. Kal moved slowly to the force field and looked across the way. There were still a couple of bodies, but one of the cells was empty. A grin crept across his face as he touched where the force field should have been. Then he ran. He ran out of the brig and into a stream of officers in the corridor and sparks falling from a variety of half opened panels. It was time to get out of here. The science officer took to the corridor and looked for the nearest hatch to a jeffries tube.
Nick Taggart threw up. Or at least he tried to, there wasn't much left since the last time he'd done it. Opening his eyes, he watched as Dr. Godfrey stood and laughed, barely able to trust his abused ears. One by one the other prisoners disappeared, and Taggart lay there feeling inept as he dry heaved time and again. Wiping his face, the counselor managed to stand finally. He'd seen enough. There was a nagging feeling of doubt, but enough of his co-captives had revealed themselves to be Consortium that he couldn't ignore the Black Hawk's captain any longer. It stood to reason, that even if the captain had been misled, he could at least be useful in recapturing Taggart's own shipmates who had revealed themselves.
"The enemy of my enemy, and all that," the blond man muttered as he stumbled out into the passageway. Finding an open Jefferies tube, he looked up an down it before determining that his best course of action was up, towards the bridge. He had to get to the Captain and alert him that there were Consortium agents loose upon his vessel.
===[The Response, Deck 4]===
How much time passed Cooper didn't know she blinked awake into a semi darkness, her head throbbing like the morning after a night before. She gained her feet, checked on those around still slowly waking. They'd been at the tail end of the evac so it was only few security personnel and few others. A few moments more passed before her mind snapped into focus and things fell into place, with a curse she gave orders for one of the security nearby to take care of the rest and tried her combadge, nothing. She tried it again still nothing. Sighing looked at Petty Officer she'd ordered to look after the others, "Any injuries?" She asked, "Nothing serious" The woman replied. Cooper looked at the two engineers and a science officer, "Drop off science at medical and get their status, warn them we may have prisoners on the loose, highly dangerous. Then then escort the engineers to deck 14, stun anyone you're not sure about then stay in engineering to secure it. Have one of the engineers use your tricorder to look for life signs so you don't get surprised." The younger woman nodded determinedly and shepherded her charges away, fortunately main medical was also on this deck.
Cooper's mind worked furiously, she looked at two of the three security officers still standing nearby, "You two, go to the security offices, get everyone still there with systems down its pointless anyway to man it. Rally them up I want decks 3-5 covered and a team sent to the bridge to warn the Captain and secure it." There wouldn't be many in the security offices, most of them had been out doing evac but it was the best she could manage, "And make sure to spread the word to other security personnel, especially the Chief, as you find them, to spread the lock down, good luck." Her words were swift and sure and the two officers took off, one pulling out his tricorder and phaser as the other pulled her phaser.
"And there was one" She said to the nervous looking crewman standing nearby, "You're with me.." He swallowed and nodded pulling his phaser and tricorder and they took off at a jog down the hall, Cooper carefully sweeping with her own phaser in the dim light. They arrived at the brig and it only took a second to confirm her worst fear, "Well hell in a handbasket..." Spinning about, with turbolifts down it would be the tubes...everyone would have to use the tubes. They rushed back to find a couple of officers roused from the security offices securing an area and immediately sent them off with the news that the prisoners were loose and in the tubes most likely. She took off toward the nearest jefferies tube hatch and wasn't surprised to find it off. She remembered Corwin had been going to secure the brig but there was no sign of the other officer, pushing the concern for a colleague aside, but making careful note, she carefully entered as the crewman confirmed no one in the immediate area.
===[The Response, Deck 7]===
Aulder, the Bolian Consortium Flight officer, had made his way down three decks in the Jeffries Tubes when he heard sounds. Were they planning on gassing the tubes? He couldn't take any chance and exited on deck seven where the Operations center was. He spotted the Shuttle Maintenance Hangar and quickly made his way for it in the hopes of finding a shuttle he could steal.
Petty Officer Third Class Andre Juarez, a Security Officer, was one of the voices near the hatch when the Bolian made his escape. Since most of the crew was using the Jeffries tubes to get around with the power being out, there was no way of knowing if this man was friend or foe. He wasn't taking any chances, though. The second he had a clear shot, he launched himself in Aulder's direction, knocking him to the ground. "Identify yourself!" he ordered, as another enlisted officer stood by with a PADD in hand ready to confirm or deny what was about to be said.
Aulder hit the deck with his breath knocked out of him and he gasped for air and he fought to turn over. When he did, he discovered two enlisted facing him, one with a PADD and another on top of him. "Get off me!" he shouted and swung for the one on top of him.
Juarez took the blow, which only angered him, then gripped the man by his ears to smack his head against the floor beneath them. If he was resorting to such things, he definitely wasn't a friendly. The second enlisted officer, Petty Officer First Class Francine Hobbs, pulled her phaser and pointed it at the Bolian man. "I will not hesitate to fire."
The Bolian's head bounced off the deck and with the other injuries that he'd taken when things went south, his eyes rolled up in his head and he lay where Juarez dropped him.
Juarez, with the help of Hobbs, hauled the Bolian man to his feet. They needed to get him medical treatment. It was going to be stressful and difficult since they had to climb up three decks with dead weight, but they'd figure out a way to make it happen. The man had a date with JAG, and they were going to make sure he was present for it.
===[The Response, Deck 4]===
Dr. Godfrey continued forward, wincing with every step. The fractured ribs made their presence known with every move he made. He came to a junction and ducked behind a bulkhead as he heard a security team coming his way. He had to get away from the security chief of the Cochrane. How could he have any suspects? the doctor thought as he continued down the hallway, ducking out of sight whenever he heard someone coming. As he moved forward, he neglected to look behind himself.
Hannibal was hot on the trail of Dr. Godfrey. The Consortium agent had tried throwing the security chief off the trail by dropping his blue medical coat and trying to blend in with the rest of the crew. Hannibal's long years in fugitive retrieval told him that the suspects would try to make it to the shuttle bays to locate a mode of transportation. He then caught a glimpse of Dr. Godfrey going around a bulkhead and stayed back to tail him, keeping out of sight of a nearby security patrol.
At that moment, he saw the doctor hobble towards a nearby access point for the Jeffries tubes. Hannibal did his best to run toward the doctor and stop him. The doctor didn't see Hannibal until he had leveled him with a punch to the jaw. Godfrey went down to the floor, trying to clutch a bulkhead as he went down. While on the floor, he kicked up and connected with Hannibal's face, sending the security officer back a few steps. He then went for the Jeffries tube access panel. Hannibal grabbed the doctor's leg and dragged him back while the doctor flailed, trying anything to get away from the larger man.
Hannibal was so busy trying to apprehend the doctor that he failed to notice the security detail come up behind him. He heard the whine of phasers start up and immediately threw his hands behind his head.
"Freeze!" the lead security officer yelled. Dr. Godfrey failed to do so and went for the Jeffries tube access again. Hannibal winced as he heard a phaser blast discharge, bracing for the hit. Surprisingly, it sailed past him and hit the doctor square in center mass, knocking him out cold. Hannibal knew that this team meant business and that there was no talking his way out of it. Hannibal knelt down with his hands behind his head. "Lt. Hannibal Owens," he said softly. "Security Chief, USS Cochrane. I'm yours."
The security team wordlessly moved in behind him and scooped him up to his feet. They placed his hands behind his back and cuffed them. Hannibal looked back towards the stunned doctor. "Whoever did that, nice shot," he said.
===[The Response, Deck 6/7 in the tubes]===
Elsewhere Cooper was still in the tubes, it wasn't easy. The security crewman called out to her when he detected life signs as he had been ordered. Problem was the tubes were now grand central station and she'd "Halt and Be identified!" Two Black Hawk medical personnel and an Ops officer. She'd ID'd them, warned them and let them go about their business. With the bridge now covered she had been making her way down. If it was one thing that her recent mission to the Cochrane had taught her was they were not going to stay in the tubes long, they wouldn't want to be trapped if the security systems came up so she was making her way to logical points of exit and checking. She was near deck 7 when she caught sight of a gold tunic quickly climbing down even as the security officer above her told her of his presence. She pulled her phaser and aimed down, holding her place with one hand on the ladder, "Halt and be identified! I have no problem falling on you!". And she couldn't just stun him and let it be sorted out later, if he fell he could be seriously hurt and if he were a Black Hawk crewman stunning some guy on the way to a vital duty was stupid. She looked down in the half light willing him to look up so she could tell for sure.
Ensign Kal looked up at the sound of the command. He saw a woman coming down the ladder and cursed to himself. He quickly checked the deck number on the hatch next to him and realized that he was still one deck away. "The prisoners have escaped! I'm trying to cut one of them off before he gets through the crowds in the corridor! He should be on this deck by now!" Jerrod opened the hatch and started to go through.
Cooper caught sight, it was hard to tell at this distance but he looked enough like on the high profile prisoners in the brig and not all that familiar so that when he reacted she sighed as she pulled her uniform sleeve over the bottom part of her hand and slid down swiftly so she was on par with his position his foot was just disappearing from view when she fired at it with stun.
Kal practically fell out of the hatch into a crowd. "Sorry," he called, but they didn't seem to notice. She hadn't bought his story and now he had a hurt foot. He just to had to get the shuttle bay or hangar bay or something. Getting out of here was his number one priority. So, he took off hobbling down the corridor and around a corner. He knew that if he was going to get out, he needed to do something.
Cooper cursed creatively and long as she took off after him, it must of just glanced off. She could hear the security crewman, unwilling to slide, trying to climb down rapidly but Cooper left him in the dust as she rolled out of the tube and took off down the hall at a fast jog, trying not to get tripped up by debris and sparking wiring as she dodged her way down the hall. Finally she caught sight of him and sped up at a clear patch of deck, tackling him from behind which was much more certain than firing on the run.
Ensign Kal Jerrod hit the deck hard with an 'oompf' that knocked the wind out of him. Gasping for breath, he tried to roll over, but found it to be difficult. The security officer had him the waist and was laying on his legs. After a few seconds of getting his breathing back, he said, "Let me go you worthless human! Pity is treason!"
"Told you I have no problem falling on you, Come on you got a date with the brig..." She said glad he confirmed he was Consortium by his mindless repeating of that mind numbing mantra that Cooper was getting heartily sick of hearing. As she considered what to do, she wanted to reach for a weapon but was loath to lighten her grip for any reason. Though oddly glad for those games of touch football as a Cadet. She heard footsteps behind her, "Ryan?" "Aye Ma'am?" replied the crewman finally catching up. "Great if he gets up stun him." And got up.
In all his wiggling, the Consortium science officer had managed to get his hand under the front of his belt. While running through the crowds earlier, he lifted a small cricket type phaser from one of the officers. Now he was slowly pulling it out and palming it. He had no idea what it was set on, but he didn't care. Kal Jerrod quickly rolled over and took aim at the male security officer standing over him and fired. "Well hell," he said, "somebody was trying to kill me." Then he took aim at the female security officer.
Cooper had already pulled out her phaser preparing to stun to stun him when he moved to drop Ryan, she reacted immediately as she had on the Cochrane and returned fire.
The young Bajoran watched the phaser beam lance out towards him. The next thing was darkness. Complete. Darkness.
Cooper checked Ryan then the Bajoran, both pulses were strong. Then she looked at the Bajoran and with a sigh grabbed the rope that Ryan had thought to get from his belt. "Come On Lord Dead Weight, you've date with the brig..." and set to making a harness.
===[The Response, Deck 1]===
Taggart kicked at the hatch to the Jefferies tube but nothing happened. Something was likely pinned against the opening but this was the closest he could get to the bridge and he wasn't so ignorant to think that a strange officer running around the ship wasn't going to get stunned at a time like this. Mildly surprised that he'd only gotten lost once, Nick wasn't about to go back into the belly of the beast, as it were, and risk wasting more time if he could avoid it at all. He had to get to the Black Hawk's captain to alert him that there were Consortium agents loose. Bracing his back against a pipe, he placed his feet on the hatch and pushed.
"I'm telling you there's pressure, come help me!" said a Black Hawk Security Ensign, "My Job is to fire torpedoes not hold doors..." said the Tactical Ensign sent to reinforce Ensign Sarah Thatcher's squad who had been sent to the bridge deck to secure all entrances, including the jefferies tubes but they were spread a little thin hence the roping in of Tactical Officers. Ensign Bryce complained a good game but didn't pause as he threw his shoulder into it as well just as someone kicked the other at the other side, the small, blond security officer gasped, "I got an idea...let him in..". Bryce looked at her like she was crazy as he held the door. Fortunately it was partly jammed because of some melted pieces but without the officer holding it a few more kicks would do it. "Just do it, tricorder only detected one and unarmed too.." She stepped to one side and aimed her phaser at the opening. With a sigh that clearly said he though she was crazy but moved to the other side drawing his own weapon.
There! For a moment he swore the hatch had moved! One more time he braced himself against the pipe, curled up his legs, and kicked with his full force. The hatch didn't exactly fly off, but it definitely opened wide. Grinning in victory, Lieutenant Taggart slide from the tube and was dumped out onto the deck. A phaser quickly drew his attention and Nick threw up his hands.
"Ensign! Lieutenant Taggart, Counselor of the Cochrane! Please take me to the Black Hawk's Captain immediately."
Bryce just gave him a look that said, "You're nuts." even as he caught himself. The man was a Lt. and the habit to obey a superior officer was strong but he overrode his instincts and Thatcher just said in her polite but firm earth British accented tones, "You must understand why that's not going to happen." She said trusting Bryce to keep an eye on his as she looked down at a PADD she'd pulled from her pocket, "ID Confirmed" She said.
Bryce aimed his phaser more carefully, "Now can I stun him?"
Sarah sighed, "What is with you and stunning people, are you not happy until you've shot someone at at least once?..."
William Bryce snorted, "Hello, it's my reason for being...."
"You know you'll have to carry him 3 decks if you do..." Was her practical reply.
Taggart sighed. Time was of the essence and these two wanted to bicker like a married couple. "Ensigns, if you please? I'll let you stun me, even after we get to where ever you need me to be. I've been stunned before. First however, I need one of you to take a message to the Captain. Tell him that he has Consortium agents loose aboard the ship."
Thatcher looked back at him, curious on if he tends to get stunned alot, "Yes we know that's why we're here.." She said then seeing genuine concern in his eyes for the first time and took pity, "Thank You Though Sir." She wasn't going to tell him the bridge was burnt out and abandoned. That they weren't entirely sure where the CO was at the moment, only that he was on the move. They were pretty much limited to how fast security officers could climb decks and run to deliver messages so it took time to get any news back. He may be Starfleet or not but regardless that didn't mean she bared her soul, she had work to do. "If you have anymore information now's the time otherwise Byce here..." she noticed a couple of petty officers come running up, "And Petty Officer T'shan will escort you back to Deck 4." The idea that if he so much as twitched wrong they would stun him went without saying.
"Do we have to take the Jefferies? If so, I'd rather you stun me and make him carry me..." Nick said dryly, gesturing towards Bryce.
"We do, you are, and that's it," Bryce said. "Let's go." With that, the Security personnel flanked Taggart and the procession headed back down to Deck Four where the Consortium agent was put with the rest of the captured prisoners under the watchful eye of armed guards.
===[The Result, Deck 4]===
By the time Cooper came in dragging Kal Jerrod, the others were already in the brig under double guard. She dumped her charge on an empty bed and went out the hall where more guards waited and stretched trying to work out the kinks in her burning muscles in her back, thank god for all those hours in the gym. And the tactical officer she'd met who helped her carry him part way back. It had been while since she had to carry a body that far even with the rope she'd pulled from an unconscious Crewman Ryan. She made sure they searched all the prisoners carefully, she wanted no repeats of Ensign Kal Jerrod. Then as she breathed a sigh of relief at the return of all the prisoners she wondered how the rest of the crew fared then bent her head to listen to a report from a newly arrived security officer.
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