Stardate: 60528:2000
Title: House Call, Part 2
Author: Captain Deadilus
Time: Current
Scene: USS Horizon


As the Waverider had descended into the atmosphere of Tharan 3 communications with the Horizon had become weaker until, eventually, the link was lost. Even though this had already been anticipated, Scott had no doubts that the crew onboard the Horizon would still worry, as he would about them until their safe return.

Setting the Waverider down outside the primary medical research facility, Scott had commenced scans on the way down - with the newer Waverider shuttle came weapons, warp capability and decent scanners. Whilst someone else attempted to contact anyone on the planet the Captain trawled through the scans looking for anything unusual (the complete absence of anyone not counting); Nothing was immediately obvious. As if waiting for the cue, everyone inside started donning the decontamination suits, ready to disembark...


=/\= Medical Research Facility Echo - Tharan 3 =/\=

The doors to the Medical Research Facility refused to open as the Away Team approached, and only when Scott passed an authorization card provided to him by Admiral Foster in front of the reader did the doors allow them entrance.

The facility was small by no measure. Internally it was much larger than the Horizon and thus presented a considerable area to search. Wary about splitting the resources up, the Away Team nonetheless split into two smaller, three-man teams; The Captain, Ensign Doyle and Lt. Comm. L'Cir proceeded down one course of investigation whilst Dr. Matthews and the others proceeded down another.

Scott tapped the combadge on his chest, signalling the Doctor.

"Just checking communications, Doctor." The Captain stated.

"Understood, Sir. Reading you fine here." The Doctor replied.

Obviously the ionisation at higher altitudes was not affecting the communication between the Away Team groups, and Scott was thankful.

Leading the group down one corridor towards Dr. Beckett's office, Scott and Dathan stood fore and aft of Tammin, all three of them gripping their phaser rifles in front of them. With a tricorder clipped onto the top, Scott kept an eye open as the team progressed. The Doctor's office was only a hundred metres or so into the building, but was flanked by numerous medical labs.

Doctor Beckett had been one of the leading researchers on Tharan 3. His research into retro-viruses and genetic applications had led the field for many years before he had quietly dropped from the public eye. His research had also cost him two marriages.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the three of them reached the Doctor's office. Even with the suits internal environment conditioners Scott felt warm.

Opening the door, Scott had expected to see chaos or destruction. Instead, the three of them were greeted by a tidy and controlled office space. Somewhat surprised, the three of the proceeded to look at the Doctor's records, looking for any padds of data that may be of relevance. After a few minutes of searching and no results, Scott approached the Doctor's computer interface terminal. As he started to request a file search the computer must have detected him, and commenced automatically playing a pre-recorded message.

"I am Dr. Nathaniel Beckett, lead researcher of the Tharan 3 medical facility." The video began. Dathan and Tammin had moved to the Captain's side.

"If you are seeing this message then I am mostly like dead." The Doctor's face showed no sign of emotion and Scott suspected this message had taken some time to record and the reality of his situation had sunk in.

"I hope this message reaches someone before it is too late. Already 70% of the population are dead, 10% have run off into the hills and caverns, and the remaining 20% are unaccounted for. They may be infected, they may not. But unless something is done to help them soon, they will all die."

Dathan and Tammin turned to the Captain, whose eyes remained focused on the message before them. Turning back they continued to watch as well.

"I am getting ahead of myself though. On stardate 50203 we were attacked by raiders of unknown origin. Some of their number were infected with a disease that was attacking their nervous system, and we were forced to help them. After a few days and two of their colleagues dying, we finally cured one of the patients."

On the video the Doctor paused for a moment.

"Or, at least, we thought we had. Having released him and proceeding to 'cure' his colleagues, the raiders attempted to steal some of the retro-viral samples we have. In the process two vials of Nanodrin-5 were smashed, and the individuals we thought we had cured ultimately experienced a nervous system shutdown. It is my best guess that the treatment masked the disease as opposed to curing it, and the Nanodrin-5 caused the virus to mutate."

"I say my 'best guess' because those of us not already dead in the facility have been unable to leave. When the raiders fled, the disease spread uncontrollably. With no-one to stop them the newly formed disease was unleashed into the unsuspecting populous..." The Doctor paused and swallowed, his calm facade faltering. "We have begun studying this new disease, but the timeframe between infection and death is only a matter of days. I myself am now infected, and expected to be dead within the next two days."

"It is now stardate 50211. The planet had been racked by severe electrical storms the likes of which we have never seen before for the last few weeks. As such the governing body has adopted a martial law decree. Any shuttle attempting to leave the planets surface is shot down. We have sent unmanned satellites up to transmit a distress call, but unable to monitor them we have no way of knowing for certain if they are working or not."

The transmission ended abruptly; The Doctor had obviously said all he could say.

Scott went to tap his combadge when it chirped.

[Dr. Matthews to Captain Deadilus.]

Scott tapped his badge. "Deadilus here. Report, Doctor."

[We have someone here, Sir. Unwell and suffering malnutrition, but alive.]

"Understood, Doc. We have something you might like to see as well. We'll rendezvous with you in five minutes."

Scott tapped his combadge, instructing Tammin to gather any notes that might seem relevant to the message they had just bore witness to whilst obtaining a copy of the message for Dr. Matthews.


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Captain Scott Deadilus
Commanding Officer
USS Horizon
NCC-72400
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