Expect the Unexpected

Posted on Wed May 5th, 2010 @ 2:42pm by Vice Admiral Iluvar & Commander Earlond & Commander Fala Awen & Lieutenant JG Margaret Winchester

Mission: Episode 1.2 - "A House Divided"
Location: Nerus V Colony
Timeline: MD15, 0734

ON: [[Nerus V Colony, MD 15, 0734]]

Earlond quickly scanned his surroundings as they materialized in the colony. It wasn't a large area, and it was surrounded by dusty, rocky hills. He noted the temporary nature of the structures - they appeared to be mobile in order to adapt to weather and geography. However, they also appeared quite damaged and in varying states of disrepair.

Margaret looked around at the small number of Romulans close by. Quietly taking out her tricorder, she began scanning. She shook her head and sighed. "These people... they're showing signs of malnourishment. How could the empire let these people live like this?"

"I doubt the Empire cares...the colony has obviously been neglected. I wouldn't be surprised if they hadn't had visitors since they first came or were dropped off here," Awen commented. Out of the corner of her eye, she noted her Security Officers a bit on edge and motioned with her hand for them to leave their weapons holstered, "I don't think we'll need those here...at least not yet. They've obviously seen us and aren't attacking. Perhaps they're hoping we'll rescue them from this place."

The arrival of the away team had drawn the attention of many bystanders, but most of them had already returned to their business, trying not to appear as if they were watching the strange arrivals. Nearby, a woman shooed a young girl down the street and away from the aliens. Not a single one made any attempt to speak to or acknowledge the away team. Most of them seemed detached from what was going on, as if it didn't really matter anymore.

One Romulan, flanked by two guards, approached the away team. The Romulan guards were armed with what appeared to be out-of-date disruptors that were battered and worn. As the trio neared the Starfleet officers, it paused. The man in the center of the group surveyed the team for a moment before turning his attention toward Earlond. "You are the team leader," he said, as if he wasn't entirely sure, "Where is your captain?"

"I am Commander Earlond," Earlond replied. "Yes, I'm the team leader. If I deem something appropriate to bring to our captain, I'll let him know. Meanwhile, let's begin the inspection. Where would you like us to start?" Earlond already had his own ideas about how to inspect the colony, but sometimes you could learn something from what others did - and did not - want to show you.

The two guards exchanged a brief glance with one another, but didn't say anything. If the Romulan who had addressed them was confused by Earlond's reaction, he didn't show it. "Inspection...of course," he said, "Forgive me. I am Dhivael (NPC), Governor of the Nerus V Imperial Colony. If you'll follow me, we can begin your...ah...inspection tour." He motioned for the team to follow as he started back the direction he had come, keeping his focus directly ahead of him as he walked. The guards fell into step on either side so as to keep an eye on the away team as they walked.

Margaret glanced at the two guards out of the corners of her eyes. Her marine background making it difficult for her to allow being surrounded by potential enemies. At the same time, however, she wanted to trust the Romulans. After all, they had been through a lot and weren't really in the best position to fight the Pandora. One thing that kept coming up in her mind though was that an animal is most dangerous when it's cornered... and these people were definitely in a corner.

As she and the other Security Officers followed along, Awen kept her guard up. It was quite obvious that the Romulans had not expected an "inspection", though they were attempting to mask their surprise...well, Dhivael was anyway. Considering the state of the colony, the Bajoran couldn't exactly blame them. She gave a brief, casual gesture and dropped back from the group slightly as Telyn and Nol fanned out slightly.

Refraining from joining Awen and her two security officers in their standard security procedure, Earlond calmly remained with the governor as they crossed the colony. It seemed that Dhivael was not at all prepared for an inspection; that was something Earlond would have to report to Iluvar. Earlond considered questioning Dhivael about it now, but it was better to wait and see how Dhivael handled this apparent surprise.

The group continued to make their way along what could be described as the colony's main thoroughfare. All around them, the colonists continued to go about their business without paying any attention to the group of strangers in their midst. Dhivael didn't seem to pay any heed to them, avoiding eye contact as he continued to lead the group toward one of the larger temporary structures.

"They don't seem too interested in us," Earlond remarked to Dhivael. "Do you get many visitors?"

"We are a frontier colony," Dhivael said with finality, as if that was all the information the commander should need.

"That seems obvious," Earlond said. "Not that it answered my question." Earlond didn't expect much of an answer to that, and he wasn't disappointed - Dhivael acted as though he had not heard.

From the back of the group, Awen knew it would be pointless to respond. However, she had the feeling that Dhivael was perhaps telling them more than Earlond thought. True, his response didn't directly answer Earlond's question, but in her mind, the fact that it was a frontier colony was an answer in itself. Those on the frontier were generally forgotten unless the government decided it needed them. Apparently now was that time.

A sudden cry upset the subdued atmosphere of the colony. One of the Romulan guards turned sharply toward the source of the sound as several colonists began to move away. A woman knelt in the street, weeping over a young male who was lying prone on the ground. She looked around imploringly, as if pleading for someone to help her, but she could not articulate her speech.

Margaret instinctively ran past the Romulans escorting the away team and straight to the boy laying on the ground and the woman beside him. Before she even reached the two Romulans, she had removed the medical scanner from the back of the tricorder and, glancing at the woman beside the boy, asked, "What's happened?"

The woman did not reply. Instead, she continued to wail incoherently as if there were no one else around besides herself. As she wailed, she rocked back and forth. She clutched the boy to herself as if shielding him from some menace, though there was no visible threat amongst them.

Margaret, figuring the woman was in some form of shock, began scanning the boy and trying to figure out what was wrong with him. There obviously wasn't anything physically wrong with him, but something had caused him to collapse and she couldn't tell why.

One of the Romulan guards approached Winchester cautiously, his disruptor at the ready. He seemed to be keeping some distance away while watching as Winchester continued to scan the boy. The other guard was keeping a close eye on the rest of the team, exchanging brief glances with his cohort. Meanwhile, Dhivael stood to one side, watching the entire situation unfold with almost Vulcan-like stoicism.

Seeing that one of the guards had moved towards Margaret, Awen motioned for Telyn and Nol to remain where they were as she stepped forward. Based on Margaret's record, Awen felt the surgeon could take care of herself, but she was currently attending to the Romulan and the Bajoran was still feeling cautious.

"What is it, doctor?" Earlond asked, speaking to Winchester but glacing toward Dhivael to judge his reaction. Certainly such an obvious problem would invoke some concern in the governor, but if it did he wasn't showing it.

"These scans aren't making sense." Margaret thought out loud. Turning to the woman again, Margaret tried getting her to say something again. "You have to tell me what's happened or I won't be able to help him." she said, urgently.

Suddenly the woman stopped wailing and looked at Margaret. For a moment, Margaret thought she was about to say something, but before the womans mouth opened again, her eyes quivered and began to roll back into her head. Margaret, jumping over to where the woman had been kneeling, was able to catch her just before her unconscious body hit the hard ground.

"Commander!" Margaret called to Earlond, "I need to get these two people up to sickbay immediately!"

"Do it," Earlond said curtly with a nod. They would have to deal with the protocol of removing people from the colony at a later time - the situation was too urgent to stop and wait for permission from the admittedly apathetic governor.

Margaret nodded and tapped her comm badge. "Winchester to Pandora. Three to beam directly to sickbay, full decontamination protocols and activate level ten containment fields."

The doctor and her two patients vanished in the shimmering effect of the Pandora's transporters, leaving only bare ground in their place. As the effect dissipated, silence fell on the surrounding colonists. For a moment, no one moved or spoke a word. Then, as if a switch had been thrown, those who had been watching discretely promptly busied themselves with some activity. It was as life had gone back to 'normal', or whatever passed for 'normal' here.

OFF

A JP by

Commander Earlond
Executive Officer
USS Pandora

Lieutenant Commander Fala Awen
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Pandora

Lieutenant JG Margaret Winchester
Chief Surgeon
USS Pandora

Lieutenant JG Telyn Scora (NPC)
Security Officer
USS Pandora
Played by: LtCmdr Fala

Ensign Revan Nol (NPC)
Security Officer
USS Pandora
Played by: LtCmdr Fala

and

Governor Dhivael (NPC)
Romulan Governor
Nerus V Colony
Played by: RAdm Iluvar