The Science of Disappearing Part I
Posted on Sat Apr 6th, 2024 @ 6:46pm by Lieutenant Junior Grade Michael Harris & Lieutenant Junior Grade Narin Valen & Lieutenant Junior Grade Jordan Spencer & Lieutenant Junior Grade Sheldon Leonard PhD & Lieutenant JG Mira Jayna
Edited on on Mon Apr 8th, 2024 @ 6:03pm
0 words; about a 1 minute read
Mission:
Episode 15 - The Evil That Lies Beneath
Location: Science Lab 5 - Deck 6 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD004 1300 hrs
Jayna contacted three science officers and the ACMO, hoping they could help provide some insight. She asked them to meet her in a small science lab, careful not to draw attention to the meeting. She was gathering lots of pieces to the puzzle, but none of them fit together. Yet. But she knew that if she found enough pieces--with the help of the crew still on board--they could find out what happened to the senior staff and get them back.
What was going on with the captain and the CIO was another matter. Maybe. She still wasn't sure about that--although the pieces she did have were concerning. It was all too coincidental to be ignored.
Sheldon arrived shortly after she did. "Lieutenant Mira? I'm Sheldon Leonard. I don't think I've ever been called to a meeting with someone from intelligence before. This might actually prove interesting."
She raised an eyebrow. "I think it is, if you like puzzles. This one should be one for you and the others to figure out."
"Color me curious. What sort of puzzle? Or is this about the disappearance of Commander Maren?"
"I'll explain when the others arrive," Jayna countered. She didn't want to go over everything three times.
Sheldon sighed and sat down in front of a computer to wait.
Michael walked into the lab with his omnipresent tankard. This time it was filled with something called a dark and stormy. He found the recipe in the ship's database and it was quite delicious. Although he now knew that he had to tweak his still to make a better rum. "Well, what sort of scientific conundrum is baffling us today?" He asked as he took a seat. His voice dripped of sarcasm.
Jayna raised an eyebrow at the sarcasm. "Lieutenant Harris, I presume?" She didn't wait for his answer. "I'll get to that when the others arrive."
Narin headed to the science lab after receiving an invitation from Lieutenant Jayna, the Assistant Chief Intelligence Officer. It was an unexpected invitation from an unexpected source. Yet another clandestine meeting, he wondered. He glanced up and down the corridor before entering the lab.
He looked around the science lab at those already gathered. He nodded in the direction of Sheldon and Michael then turned his attention to Lt. Jayna. “Hello. You must be Lieutenant Jayna. I’m Lieutenant Valen.”
"I am. Thank you for meeting with me," Jayna replied. She wished she could have met some of the scientists under better circumstances, but she'd been occupied with other things.
Narin nodded. "Of course, Lieutenant Jayna. I'm glad we could meet." he replied.
"What do you know about the disappearances?" Jayna began.
"Nothing short of the fact that people are gone, and the Commodore does not seem to care that they are missing. Also, that Malbrooke has not left the Bridge in days." Michael said with a tone of nonchalance. He took a gulp from the tankard and smiled.
"That's true enough," Jayna looked to the others. "Have any of you heard more?"
"That pretty much sums up what I know too," Narin said.
"I've been looking around, and I have some information. What I do know requires assistance from all of you." Jayna had followed up on the suggestion by CPO Xeres and had checked the data from Corporal Shy's suit as he was the only one she knew had been taken over by Kavicus. From there, she'd gone over the data she copied from the Serenity and thought she found what Rowena wanted to hide. It still didn't explain what happened to the crew or why, but it was a start.
"We're here to assist however we can," Narin replied. "What information do you have?"
Jayna nodded. "Thank you. When the Marine team was in the underwater facility, they encountered a creature calling itself Maleficus. We believe it was responsible for killing the occupants and feeding off their fears. This creature came in contact with a Marine corporal and inhabited his body. Then when he was on the shuttle, Commander McGowen helped him and the entity transferred to her. I have data corroborating that much. I assume this is why the commander is behaving oddly and may also be why the captain is not himself, but that has yet to be verified. What I need help with is finding a way to verify that they are possessed and if so, how can we get our people back while preventing the rest of the crew from being taken over as well." She knew it sounded absurd, and fully expected Harris to scoff. "I also don't know if this has any bearing on the missing crew, but it might. I think science is best positioned to find out where they might be."
Narin nodded as he listened to Jayna. The situation sounded reminiscent of a science fiction story, however not entirely beyond the realm of possibility. History has its share of instances where individuals were seemingly possessed by other entities. “I’m interesting in reviewing the data you’ve collected,” he expressed.
"I can share that with you and the others. You may need it in order to keep this from affecting others," the half Vulcan replied.
"That would be greatly appreciated," Narin replied. "We need to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone on board."
Jayna nodded. "We do indeed. I have a feeling this problem is going to take all of us working together."
"The theoretical possibilities are fascinating," Sheldon said. "I'll start creating models to see what might prove most efficacious."
Nothing that was said proved to be of the slightest interest to Harris. The team that was gathered acted as he suspected. Well with the excepting of the new Assistant Chief. Michael had not had the pleasure of speaking with him as yet. So, he had not formed an opinion on the newcomer. Michael decided it best that he would simply sit there quietly until this was over. Then perhaps he could go to the lab and work on his experiments unhindered. He took a rather large draught from his tankard, at least he had his drink.
"What I'm specifically looking for is this," Jayna continued, pulling up the data on her PADD and showing it on a nearby screen. "Here's the data on the entity entering Corporal Shy." She switched to the data from the shuttle. "And here is when it transferred to Commander McGowen. Doctor, I'd like you to find a way to be able to recognize when someone has been possessed, and I want you to find a way to pull it out and confine it. We aren't going to get very far if this thing keeps taking people over."
Then she looked at the three scientists. "If any of you have an idea to help the doctor, speak up. The entity that called itself Kavicus--if that's even who we're dealing with--appears to need physical contact. I don't know if that's what happened to the senior staff. What could cause someone from this ship to disappear? Where could they have gone? Did they fall through a temporal rift? Did they phase to somewhere?"
As the data played Michael had been drinking however, his eyes widened ever so slightly over his tankard. The drink slipped from his lips slowly and he spoke in a whisper. "A Class Five Non-corporeal Free Roaming Entity."
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Junior Grade Mira Jayna
Assistant Chief Intelligence Officer, USS Pioneer
Intelligence Liaison, The Cure
Lieutenant Junior Grade Narin Valen
Assistant Chief Science Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant JG Sheldon Leonard
Theoretical Physicist, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Junior Grade Michael Harris
Science Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieuteance Junior Grade Spencer Jordan
Assistant Chief Medical Officer, USS Pioneer
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