The Klingon Survivor

Posted on Tue Apr 13th, 2010 @ 10:48am by Lieutenant Commander Melissa Daniels M.D. & Captain Alexander Gunning & Commander Dietrich Reinhart & Lieutenant Commander Nilani Prax

Mission: Commissioned
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: Mission Day 4, 2100 Hrs

[ON]

Melissa continued to work on the Klingon. Life Support was not even necessary, as Klingons had a great amount of redundancy in their organs. She knew how difficult it was to covertly kill a Klingon. Even during her time working for Starfleet Intelligence.

Klingons had a rigidity to them that Melissa found interesting, once she could get past the fact that Klingons do not bathe. She left the sickbay and entered the waiting room. "It looks like he'll make it. If it were not for the redundancy in Klingon Physiology, he'd be dead right now. And if he were to wake up, I don't know if he'll be more sociable than the Bajoran in Engineering."

The Commander looked at the doctor and took a moment to consider the possibilities. "What was the issue, Doctor? Was it just some kind of accident?"

Melissa responded, "There were several phaser wounds on the patient. One shot pieced the tertiary liver, and another shot severed the auxiliary pulmonary artery near the heart. You have to admire the Klingon Body, it manages damage better than human bodies. I have him in restraint fields for when he wakes up."

"Restraints?" The commander queried, "Doctor, I don't think that restraints are necessary. We rescued him. Why would he rage at the angels of mercy?"

"Because I know what weapon shot him, and I can tell right away without a tricorder; A Standard Type II Phaser. Chances are, when he wakes up, he's going to think we attacked the outpost." Melissa noted. "So, until he calms down a little when he comes around, I'm keeping him in restraints."

Gunning took a sharp inhale of breath. "You're quite right then. Best keep him in restraints. A type two, you say? Are you absolutely sure? Why would anyone from the Federation attack a Klingon Research Post that has a permit and permission to be in our space?" He asked, half-rhetorically, looking towards his Executive Officer.

Dietrich looked at Gunning, believing it to be a rhetoric question. He chose to keep that dumb-struck look on his face, rather than keep the talk going. In the face of a stranger, it was always better to keep a surprise in store in case something went wrong. Reinhart continued his silence.

Melissa spoke, "I have both seen and studied every phaser and disruptor wound in the quadrant, even some rare weapons. The wounds have the tell-tale signs of focused phase infusion. Scorch mark matches that of a Type-II Phaser Emitter perfectly."

Gunning dragged his hand down his face. "This is bad, isn't it?"

"Yes, sir," he finally said. Dietrich looked dumbstruck at the Klingon's burn marks. "I think we need to contact headquarters about now, Captain. Maybe they can find something out we don't know. Maybe enough information that we might be able to find out a little something about our guest before he even wakes up."

Gunning's mind was beginning to melt down. It felt like a combination of a normal headache and some great weight pushing down on him. He shook his head violently as if to shake it away; luckily it worked.

"I've checked our records and there was definitely permission for the Klingons to be here meaning that whoever attacked them was in violation of Federation Law and that's good enough for me. Hopefully Prax will be able to work out what it was that disabled the Bird of Prey and we'll be a bit closer to finding out what happened." He sighed. "Can you bring him round, Doc? We might as well ask."

"I don't think you'll like his answers, regardless of what you ask," Nilani said, having walked into the room in time to catch the end of the Commander's statement.

"What have you found Lieutenant?"

"Nothing good," the Trill responded, handing over the PADD she had been carrying when she walked in. "I've been analysing the sensor readings of the Bird of Prey. It was definitely disabled in battle; I couldn't see it at our previous range, but now that we're closer the scorch marks on the hull are easily evident. But that isn't all," she paused, knowing that what she was about to say would have a big impact on their next steps. "I've analysed the weapon signatures. They're Starfleet."

Melissa spoke, "This is bad. If we do not find evidence that exonerates the Federation here. The Chancellor could declare the Federation in direct violation of the Khitomer Accords."

"He would have to," Nilani said. The Prax symbiont had been around long enough to know what Klingon politics would demand. "As soon as it becomes clear that a legitimate Klingon ship was attacked with Starfleet weapons - Chancellor Martok won't have any choice but to retaliate. Anything less could potentially cause a civil war between the Klingon Houses who support our alliance, and those who would rather only see us from the other side of the battlefield.

Melissa nodded, "Therefore it will be helpful to the Chancellor to resolve this without the High Council learning of it. Chancellor Martok's reign, recently, has been built on rebuilding and reforming the Empire. If his rivals learn of this, it could lead to civil war and a destabilization of this part of the quadrant." She still knew her politics after all this time.

The massive frame of the Klingon began to writhe as the Doctor brought him round. His heavy lids began to flutter apart and it took a moment for the haze to ascend from his eyes. His eyes fell on the grey shoulders of the Starfleet uniforms. He tried to jump to his feet but couldn't.

"nuqDaq 'oH jIH?" The massive Klingon spat at the officers who surrounded him. "Why have you done this?!"

"My name is Commander Gunning. We had nothing to do with the attack on your base. You'll just have to trust me. What is your name?"

"I am Doctor Bord of the Klingon Science Directorate." Came the reply from the restrained giant. "They came and took my colleagues. They... left me to die. There is no honour in that. To be left out to die like a dog."

Nilani exchanged a glance with Commander Reinhart - a look which clearly said Doctor? A Klingon scientist?

Melissa spoke, "Doctor, do you recall anything strange about your attackers. Something, anything that stands out?"

"They were Starfleet. They claimed they were on a routine scouting mission and decided to check on us." He groaned as one of his injuries appeared to flare in his shoulder. "They were not checking. When the Bird of Prey lowered their shields, they attacked. I don't know how many they sent. It could have been three men but it felt like ten. I am no warrior, Doctor. Just a scientist; strange as it may sound to you."

"What was the name of the ship, Doctor?" The commander piped up.

The Klingon responded quietly, clearly feeling the pain. "They said they were from the USS Shiloh."

Gunning turned to Reinhart. "Your brother's ship? Aren't they assigned in Galactic North?"

Dietrich looked at his chronometer to check the date, "Yeah. Last time I heard from Mark, he and his boat were heading to no-man's-land by the Taevon Expanse and the galactic core. I doubt that he would've travelled all the way out here without passing by home or letting us know about it."

"That's what I thought." Gunning began to pace the sickbay. "If it's not them then why would they pretend to be another ship? It's not like the Klingons would know any better."

"The Bird of Prey might be able to tell us who it was. So long as the sensor logs are intact, I should be able to get at them," Prax said, looking towards Alex.

"Good point, Lieutenant." Gunning replied. He was beginning to feel like they might never catch up to the ship that did this. "Commander Reinhart. Take Prax and Allein over to the Bird of Prey. Try to download any sensor scans that they managed to take of the vessel before they were attacked."

"Yes, sir," Reinhart said, looking immediately to Prax. "Let's get in atmospheric suits. I don't know what the state of the Bird of Prey would be after a Federation surprise attack. Chances are there are a few hull breaches." Reinhart nodded to Gunning.

"Sounds like a lovely place to take a girl on a date," Nilani joked, grinning.

"Get to it then." Gunning turned to the Doctor. "Make sure our patient is taken care of. Use the services of Miss Roland to make sure that he knows he can trust us."

Melissa spoke, "You want me to cheer up an angry Klingon. Commander, I am a doctor, not a jester."

Gunning turned back to her as he passed through the door of the sickbay. "Use your ingenuity, Doc. I have faith in you. I'll replicate you some balls to juggle with if need be."

[OFF]

Commander Alex Gunning
Commanding Officer

Lieutenant Commander Dietrich Reinhart
Executive Officer / Chief Flight Control Officer

Lieutenant (JG) Melissa Daniels M.D.
Chief Medical Officer

Lieutenant (JG) Nilani Prax
Chief Science Officer