Out of the Frying Pan...

Posted on Fri Apr 24th, 2015 @ 12:47pm by Commander Jordan Gunning & Captain Liarra Von & Commander Titus Livius Drusus PhD & Lieutenant Commander Kaya Innis

Mission: Pandemic [Incomplete]
Location: Operations Centre [Deck 12]
Timeline: MD01 [Pandemic]: 1000hrs.

Stepping off the shuttle onto SB 332 should have felt like starting over. New. Hopeful. Something. Instead, there was a sense of foreboding that went along with the high ceilings and the arching gurneys and thick windows that stared out into cold, unwelcoming stars. It was so very open, Kaya thought as she moved through the crowded docking ring. Open and full of strangers. It wasn't lost on her that just a few years ago these details wouldn't have even made her blink an eye. Today, though, was more jaded, more watchful, and she wasn't about to let her guard down.

The doctor continued on through the station, taking silent stock on her way to check in. Before the end of her first week she'd told herself that she'd memorize the basic layout, security check points- anything to make sure that she wasn't caught flat-footed again. When that was done, she promised that she'd make herself relax just a bit.

Arriving at the Operations Centre, the tall redhead stuffed her hands in her jackets pockets as she stepped just outside of the turbolift and took a brief look around. It was huge compared to Caltans tiny operations hub, as well as every starship's bridge that she'd ever served on. "Excuse me," she asked a passing crewman. "Can you tell me where I'd check in?"

"Yes, I can." The skinny crewman replied cheerfully. Porter McKinley had been the Executive Officer's Yeoman for a grand total of ten minutes and had already made himself useful, directing people around and fetching Commander Gunning what he presumed to be the finest latté the senior officer had ever tasted. "Step right this way. You'll need to speak with Commander Gunning."

The Commander was half a step out of his office when his overbearing new Yeoman dropped in on him. "McKinley, I'm really busy at the moment, I'm sure this ca-"

McKinley cut him off with rapid-fire mouth. "Sir, this officer is here to report in to you, sir."

"Too many sirs, Crewman. Did you take her name?"

"No sir."

Gunning looked past the Crewman- the latest frustrating presence in his professional life- and noted the white plate upon which the woman's rank sat. "Doctor Innis, I presume?"

"Guilty as charged," the doctor said, stepping forward. She smiled at the well meaning yeoman as if to apologize for getting him into whatever mess he'd just stepped in.

"You're excused, Crewman." He told McKinley before turning his attention back to the doctor. "Can we walk and talk?"

"Of course.." the doctor said, turning to the side enough that she could easily fall into step alongside him. "Lead on."

"I'm afraid I don't have time to give you the usual warm welcome, Doctor." Gunning said as they strode across the buzzing Operations Centre. "You're needed on an off-station assignment urgently."

They stopped at the large glass doors to the office of Captain Liarra Von and Gunning pressed the chime.

Von sat the report she was working on and raised her cup of cappuccino to her lips. Between all the reports and late nights, she was confident that 90% of her blood had to have been coffee at this point. "Come in," she called out to the chime. Whoever it was had to be more interesting than the report on freighter traffic.

"Captain." Jordan Gunning poked his head around the door before entering completely. "You asked me to notify you when the Doctor arrived."

Liarra sat up at attention. "Ah, yes, of course. Come on in." She rose to her feet and walked around her desk to greet the new doctor. "I take it that you are Doctor Innis. I'm Captain Liarra Von. Welcome to Starbase Three-Three-Two."

"Thank you, sir," Innis said, dropping her small carry on next to the doorway, then stepping forward to offer the captain a hand. "It's a pleasure to be here. I take it I won't be staying long though.."

"A quick turnaround I'm afraid." Interjected Jordan who had taken his usual seat across from the Commanding Officer. "You'll be temporarily attached to the USS Carthage, commanded by Commander Drusus. We've received an update from a Federation duckblind on M'Jir Three. They're monitoring a primitive, pre-industrial civilisation which has developed a pandemic virus."

Kaya shrugged her shoulders lightly. "Forgive my bluntness, but pandemics are a dime a dozen on low tech worlds. Earth's had more than a few even. What's the catch for this one that makes it so interesting that it's being monitored?" That was the the big question. The prime directive would severely hamper how much they could do for the population if they were going to meddle at all. Kaya didn't know either by reputation enough to see what angle of interest the plague would be to them. A weapon? A cure? A particularly interesting biological component? She'd met all kinds in her time in Star Fleet.

"Going by the reports coming from the duck blind, the plague appeared over the course of twenty four hours at a variety of epicentres. The exact cause is unknown but it is suspicious enough for them to request assistance."

"So we're going in to cure it then. Good." Kaya's shoulders relaxed just a little as she basked in the idea that there wouldn't be a knock down drag out fight with her superiors day one. Standing back and not getting involved while others suffered was something that she wasn't willing to do ever again. "How loose are we willing to fly on this?"

"That'll be down to the operational commander." Gunning was uncomfortable at greying the boundaries but without boots on the ground, they didn't know what they were facing. "The immediate priority is diagnosis."

"Virology is such a touchy subject even with our levels of technology. You still have to find what your vectors of transmission in order to keep it from spreading further and then find your patient zero to figure out how it got cooked up to begin with. That means footwork, sirs," the doctor said, worrying her bottom lip for a moment. She didn't particular mind- she just wanted them forewarned. "There's only so much that you can turn over with scanning communications and monitoring traffic patterns. You have to get in there and get your hands dirty. Get disruptive. Isolate and quarantine. You don't quietly break up a pandemic unless the population center that you're researching is already dead."

"I'm afraid it's not our dance party, Doctor." Gunning replied. "You'll be linking up with Doctor Renna Olkano on the surface. The duck blind is her mission- she'll give the go ahead one way or the other."

Von had been watching the back and forth between Gunning and Innis silently. It was great to see her new officers so ready to hit the ground running. "You will have to forgive me a bit for being a bit callous, but along with that diagnosis, I want to know where the disease came from. That type of dispersal pattern rarely happens naturally."

Outside the Captain's office, Commander Titus Livius Drusus had burst into Ops, making a bee-line for Von's Office. He was a man in a hurry and didn't stop to wonder if he might be interrupting at a bad time before he thumbed the chime for access. The Carthage was almost ready for departure and he had to force himself away when his presence was required in the Captain's Office.

"Come in," Von called out to the door. It was turning into quite the party in her office.

The door parted and the Magna Roman stepped over the threshold, holding himself straight and stern in an effort to cover his impatience to get underway. "Captain, Commander," he nodded to his two superior officers in turn, but wasn't familiar with the third occupant of the room. "I was told you wanted to see me."

"Commander." Gunning nodded his approval of the Science Officer's timeliness. "You won't have met Doctor Innis, our new Chief Medical Officer."

"That's right." Von gestured to each of the officers in turn as she introduced them. "Commander Drusus, this is Doctor Kaya Innis. Doctor Innis, this is Commander Titus Drusus, our chief science officer. He'll be leading the mission to M'Jir Three. Commander, I know Doctor Brand was going to be tagging along as well, but I felt that it would be prudent to have an extra set of hands. I want to make sure no one is testing a biological weapon in our backyard."

"I think, in this case, there can be no such thing as too many doctors," Drusus said, affecting a courteous smile as he turned to Doctor Innis. "Good to meet you, Doctor."

Innis nodded to Drusus politely. "It's good to meet you, too."

There was a short, intermittent beep on Gunning's combadge and he sighed deeply as he pressed the delta. This was the most he'd been able to sit down all day and immediately had a feeling of impending doom. Ever since he had become First Officer, everybody's tiny problems seemed to be his. "Commander Gunning, please report to Deck Five-Seven-Seven."

It immediately dawned on him. "I'm guest lecturing. If you'll all excuse me. Best of luck with your mission, Commander, Doctor."

Von nodded to Gunning as he took his leave. "I'm afraid I don't have too much data on the virus at this time, but the researchers on the planet are compiling a report. It should be sent to the Carthage while you're en route. Commander, how soon until you will be ready to leave?"

"As soon as the doctor and I are aboard, we'll be able to clear moorings and be on our way," Drusus replied matter of factly.

"Excellent," Von replied before turning back to Innis. "I apologize for the quick turnaround, Doctor. I know you only just arrived, but it would probably be best that you get underway soon. I can already tell that Commander Drusus is itching to leave."

"Perfectly understandable." In a way, Kaya thought, it was good to be thrust back into action right away. Get her feet wet. Get the old spirit back again. "It'll take not two shakes of a lamb's tail to get what I need together and I'll be at your disposal."

"Then I'll leave you to it." Von stood and offered her hand. "Welcome again to Starbase Three-Three-Two. We're glad to have you aboard."

---

Captain Liarra Von
Commanding Officer

Commander Jordan Gunning
Executive Officer

Commander Titus Drusus
Chief Science Officer

Lt. Commander Kaya Innis
Chief Medical Officer