Emergency in the Caverns

The captain of the USS Phoenix had spent a considerable amount of time studying the alien spacecraft in the middle chamber of these caverns while the away team members were divided in sections of the main chamber with another two members at work the adjacent smaller cavern just off the present one where the craft resided.

The keen vision of the Vulcan could not only appreciate that that the design of this spacecraft was phenomenally streamlined, but it also appeared perfectly aerodynamic and virtually seamless as well.

Based on observation and analysis, Syntron hypothesized that this large starship was designed for both space travel and entry into a variety of planetary atmospheres.   Yet like this planetoid itself, this craft was quite an enigma. Even after many hours of studying this vessel from all angles and sides, he could not ascertain even an entry point let alone its means of propulsion.

The sharp vision of the captain was then distracted by a sudden motion off in the distant side of this cavern. The door to the smaller chamber had suddenly closed.

The Vulcan then swiftly approached the spot where the door had closed. There was no reaction to his presence by the entryway. The captain then engaged his helmet's comm.

After trying unsuccessfully to achieve communication with the two biologist inside the room, Syntron opened up the comm signal.

"Riker and Vincent. The entrance to the chamber near the middle cavern has suddenly sealed. Apparently the two biologists Friedman and Fallon are still on the other side of this obstruction, but they are apparently unable to communicate. Proceed here at once!" the captain commanded calmly but with an emphasis in his tone, as he now closely inspected the area around the previous entryway very carefully.

Riker adjusted the power levels on his phaser pistol and then ran for the now sealed door.

Looking over at Josh Vincent Riker nodded telling him to grab his gear and respond that they were on their way.  Riker did not even wait for Vincent to respond to the captain before he began to head for the door.

"We are on our way Captain" replied Josh Vincent as he and Riker headed back to the middle cavern.

After Riker and the security team arrived, they tried a multitude of approaches to get the entryway to open. None were successful.

The captain then inquired "Who discovered this chamber and initially accessed it?"

Vincent responded without hesitation. "It was Lieutenant Hunter, Sir."

After the captain managed to temporarily tear the Andorian away from the main chamber, she arrived and immediately began scanning the area on the other side of the door. At first, all of her readings were blocked or inconclusive, but she eventually managed to penetrate beyond the barriers and was able to get a fix on the room.

"Sir, for some reason the temperature on the other side of the entryway is rising significantly!" Kalynda noted with legitimate concern in her voice.

With a raised brow behind his visor, the Captain immediately questioned "To what degree is this increase occurring Lieutenant?"

Apparently not realizing the pun embedded within his stoic inquiry, this witticism was not lost on the Andorian who repressed an emerging smirk as she continued observing her tricorder as she replied.

"It has already passed the point of turning liquid water into a vapor Captain."

Syntron immediately engaged his communicator in his helmet.

"Doctor Nasaro-Myth, meet us in front of the entrance to the genetics chamber. We may have an impending medical emergency."

The captain then turned back to the Andorian science officer.

"What are their vitals Lieutenant?"

With a quizzical expression cast upon her blue hued face,  she reluctantly responded.

"Uh... that's just it captain... I cannot get any readings on them whatsoever. I know that they were in this chamber prior to these events..." she added despondently, as her voice trailed off.

 Then the Anorian's eyes popped opened as a realization struck her like an emergency alarm.

"Sir, neither Friedman or Fallon returned for a fresh canister of oxygen at their appointed time. I would estimate that they may only have about fifteen to twenty minutes of respiratory gases remaining within their current tanks!"  

The captain pondered the situation for a few additional moments.

"We will assume at this point that our temporary alterations of environmental conditions triggered this response" Syntron began to speculate. "The immediate questions that come to mind are why raise the temperature in that particular chamber and what other responses may have occurred in there?"  

He looked around through his visor at his away team members. Everyone remained silent. The captain continued to think out loud.

"Given that we have found no signs of life currently existing on this planetoid or in these chambers, it would also seem logical to presume that these were automatic reactions. What would then be a scientific benefit of raising the temperature in that area to such a significant degree?"

Silence once again pervaded the communications channel until the Andorian spoke up.

"Maybe to sterilize the room or rid it of any potential contamination?"

With a slightly raised brow, the Vulcan captain brought his attention back to the Andorian scientist.

"Proceed with your thoughts Lieutenant."

Kalynda did not have her thoughts together by any means. She was merely speculating on an idea that had just popped into her head. She allowed these ideas to gel for a while longer before she began to speak.

"Despite all evidence that no life exists on this planetoid, at least for many centuries or millennia,  there are many unanswered questions about whowas here and why all of these chambers, spires, and such were constructed."

The Andorian reflected for a few more seconds before she began to reveal what had been swirling around in her thoughts for a while, but had now finally begun to coalesce.  

"At first, I assumed that this planetoid was merely some sort of alien outpost or base. But as I contemplate this whole arrangement, there seems to be a lot more significance to its overall design and interconnectedness than merely a stopping point for some unknown species. First, all of the cloak and dagger created and spread throughout the surface of this planetoid to conceal its very existence. Then all of the ways in which attempts to scan this planet from orbit or even on its surface were systematically deflected. In addition, there is the manner in which we were eventually able to gain access into the spires and chambers. This wasn't a password-like cipher shared among high level officials, but a code designed to be discovered by sentient beings... as we were able to do."

Syntron gazed reflectively at the Andorian.

"Is this speculation leading to something Lieutenant?"

Kalynda returned the Vulcan's gazed, but somewhat more uncertain.

"Genetics captain. It was one of the primary aspects of this mystery discovered in that chamber. Now we have two crew members possibly having some more comprehensive answers for us who are at least temporarily trapped in there."  

"Indeed Lieutenant. This is why we are currently standing on the outside of this chamber. What would be your recommendation on how we should proceed at this time?" the captain inquired.

Kalynda gazed at her tricorder and then all around the door blocking access to the chamber.

"For the moment Sir, I would recommend doing nothing. If this is a reaction to the slight environmental changes that occurred, then the remedy being automatically implemented may be relatively brief as well. Apparently, our environmental suits served to contain any other types of perceived changes or contamination. It was therefore only the changes of gasses and the slight elevation of temperature that prompted this response in the chamber, which we returned back to the original settings almost immediately."

Syntron considered the recommendation for a moment before responding back.

"For the time being, that would be a logical suggestion. However, given that these two biologists may not be able to continue to respirate in approximately fifteen minutes, we will need a contingency plan to initiate if this is not resolved prior to this eventuality. In addition, transporters are also not an option due to our inability to detect their biosigns or penetrate the temporary energy field surrounding this chamber."     

The Vulcan then looked around at his remaining teams members and awaited their ideas and input.

The away team continued discussing and debating potential options as the Andorian sustained monitoring readings on her tricorder. Just over eleven minutes later, the readings fluctuated.

Kalynda immediately interrupted their conversation.

"Captain, the temperature in the chamber has just returned to normal and all interference has ended."

The away team members all stopped their debates as their attention was immediately drawn to the Andorian staring at her tricorder.

Kalynda then casually reached over and activated the access point on the wall she had previously discovered and the impending barrier before them began to grind its way open once more.

Without a word spoken, the science officer then stepped into the sterilized chamber and headed immediately toward the two officers laying beneath a small forcefield on the ground as the others followed closely behind her.

Upon arrival to the biologists, both Friedman and Fallon were unconscious but registered barely perceptible vital signs. The chief medical officer immediately injected each with a tri-ox compound as the remaining away team members worked in tandem to replace their depleted oxygen canisters. The requisite gases were then forced into their respiratory systems as they lay cataleptic on the ground.

Syntron then turned to the CMO and the security chief.

"Get these two crewman back to sickbay and run full medical scans on each."

"Straightaway" the Deltan Doctor responded with a sense of urgency as he gestured the security team to carefully lift and carry the unconscious officers out of the chamber as he supervised their movements every step of the way.

Kalynda then interjected.

"Captain, it appears that the biologists have a recording prompted here on this device awaiting activation. Perhaps this will include some valuable information for us about what they were working on prior to being incapacitated." 

Syntron nodded as the two fallen officers were being carefully carried out of the current chamber and headed toward the pattern enhancers that were set-up in the adjacent chamber. He then turned his attention back to the Andorian scientist.

"Connect the device into your headset Lieutenant and then broadcast their entries to the immediate team in this chamber."

Kalynda complied with the order given and then engaged the device.

It took a moment to get the audio settings calibrated to where the voices were discernible: 

Fallon: “This is Doctor Fallon recording on Stardate…”

Friedman: “Wait, I have an idea!” (Scrabbling sounds) “There! This force field should stop us from getting fried, at least. My grandmother made a few modifications to a personal field.”

Fallon:  “But we will still suffocate…”

Friedman: “Oh come on, Fallon! Where is your natural optimism? Someone will notice something, I’m sure! Now, let’s…” (Coughing)

Fallon: “It’s OK, Doc, I will go first and then you can add your part.”

Friedman: “It will only be you. I am entering my prime form and will soon enter hibernation. That means, I will use less oxygen, so you can have this…” (clicking sounds) “There should still be about 10 minutes of oxygen left. Just please, don’t let them think I am dead. I will be unresponsive, one breath and one heartbeat every few minutes. It’s normal. Though this is only the second time for me…” (Coughing)

Fallon: “OK, Doc, you just don’t die on me, will ya?” (Unfamiliar noises) “Doctor Friedman has taken on her prime form, which, from the look of it, is Draylaxian. If I ever get out of here alive, I will have to research them.”

(Sniffles)

Fallon: “If someone finds this, I am following her orders and will relate the events and our findings here.”

“Kathleen and I started our scanning of the front chamber of this cavern system about 32 hours ago. At first we both did the scans and entered our findings into the computer. But to save time, we requested more PADD’s. She did the scanning and I entered. As usual, things were dragging along for me so I decided to run the comparison routine while I am adding. Well,” (Half laugh) “I was curious too. Especially in the light that four of us saw the exact same symbol but we described it differently.

“Kathleen came to the conclusion that because of the biological and home environment differences of our species, our perspectives of the same object may differ. She planned to corroborate this later.

(Frustrated sigh)

“Oh come on, Fallon! Get it together. Not much time left…”

“Saints preserve us…if anyone needs a rundown on our health first, which I think will be best, IF we get out of here…Even through our evosuits, we, that’s me and Kathleen, picked up some burns. I can’t touch it through the suit, but I can feel something running down my neck and back. Hurts like hell. Even before that, with the suit popping holes, the cold seeped in. Not sure if we received some freezer burn and with the suit’s heating systems acting up…I don’t know. But something is really hurting my arms.”

“I don’t know how long I will be coherent, so I will make it short and try to relate the important things. If we survive, Kathleen and I can explain it more thoroughly. The symbols and sigils, is anything but. It is pictographs. From what we could determine, this is some sort of Assembly Room and through that hatch, is the beginnings of life for this planetoid. So, no more opening that door! I would hate to know that everything inside that cavern getting exterminated like we are getting here…

“It happened by chance. When Kathleen asked us girls to describe one of the symbols, we couldn’t make sense out of the different results. Until I got fed up and stacked it together and that’s when we saw it; a starting point! The double helix, with something extra, what, we are not sure yet.

“We started the scans and added that to the data base, hoping that when we ran the comparison routine, everything will become clear. Just…I ran the routine while I am adding the scan results. Not in a million years we could have come up with what the results will be.

“Here, in this room, an automated program is assembling DNA in one chromosome, building it up, adding more and more cells, until the same program activates the DNA and send it off into the part of the cavern it’s designed for.

“To make it simple; this is the root system of a tree. This is where the cells are combined into whatever this place is programmed for. Then over there, near the hatch, that is the tree trunk, where most of the pictographs are and it’s visual enough so any person can make out what the purpose of that batch of cells will be. From there, it’s moved to the branch where it will grow, or evolve into the final program. Like a fish, or a bird, grass, deer or even the species itself.

“I am getting tired and sleepy, so I guess the oxygen is nearly done. The sequence will run after this recording on a loop. I hope you will get this, even if we don’t survive.” (Heavy breathing) “This isn’t just some weird kind of planetoid, this is terraforming from the first element up…”

(Silence. Crackling sounds.)

They were the last sounds heard on the audio recording.

*             *             *

From the main chamber of the cavern, Linguist Alenis Leeta and astrophysicist Anita Muller continued cataloging and analyzing the symbols and markings on the different panels on each set of walls. The more pieces to the puzzle they added to their collection, the clearer their overall image of what they were actually addressing began to come more into focus. Even though they did not decipher the functionality of every control, they were eventually able to map out what they determined was an overview of the chamber into a graphic representation on their PADD.

Alenis then contacted the leader of the away team.

"Commander Riker, we believe that we have made a breakthrough with decoding the functionality of the panels within this main chamber. Please join us when you are able. Alenis Leeta out."

Tapping his combadge Riker looked over at Hunter and nodded as if to say come with me.

"On my way"

With that Riker and Hunter made their way down the path of cavern.

After the executive officer arrived along with the captain and science officer Hunter, the Betazoid linguist presented her PADD to the commanding officers.

((note: a graphic image has been created for the novelization))

"As you can see," Alenis noted as she pointed to the graph on her PADD,"the function of this control room seems to corroborate what the geneticists were implying on their recording: this planetoid is apparently being very slowly and precisely terraformed into a habitable environment." 

With a clearly raised eyebrow, the Vulcan captain inquired "If this is the case, then for whom is this planet being suitably created?"  

Alenis looked up from the PADD and into the eyes of the Vulcan looking at her intently behind his visor.

"The answer to that Captain may possibily be explained by the two geneticists just whisked off to sickbay."

Unfortunately for the captain, the two geneticists were also rendered unconscious. Without a word spoken among anyone present, they realized that the medical treatment provided and diagnosis that followed would determine if there was any permanent damage inflicted upon these officers.

"Indeed" noted the captain after a few seconds, as he stepped away from the Linguist's PADD and turned his attention to his executive officer standing beside them.

"Commander Riker, continue your mission of gathering information from these chambers, but be cautious in this endeavor not to trigger any further environmental or other threatening repercussions. I will be returning back to the Phoenix to check on the status of our injured crewman."

Nodding to the captain,  Riker acknowledged.

"Understood Sir."

Communicating with the away team Riker issued his command

"Attention away team this is Commander Riker.  We will continue to gather as much information as possible however all samples and direct contact will kept to a minimum and will go through all senior staff

The captain then turned and headed out of the restored genetics chamber and carefully strolled back toward the configured pattern enhancers in the adjacent hanger deck section of the cavern.

As he entered its triangular arrangement, he activated his comm system.

"Captain Syntron to USS Phoenix... one to beam up."

Within a few seconds, the atoms and molecules of the commanding officer shimmered out of the chamber.   

((Note: the part with the captain continues in "Meanwhile in Sickbay" post))

 *             *             *

First to beam down to the surface on the security team rotation was Chief Warrant Officer Jacob Park; Master-at-Arms of the Phoenix and also lead security investigator for the ship. The short, muscular human took a stance just outside the pattern enhancer’s to await his cohort for this short away mission. A few seconds passed and then the enhancers pulsed their angular force lines and the lean form of an Andorian materialized within the site. At six feet tall, Master Chief Petty Officer Thalesh was short for his race, but his hefty one hundred and ninety five pound frame, showing the typical Andorian white locks through the face plate of his environmental suit, more than compensated for his stature.

The pair moved off toward the third cavern in unison, drawing their phasers as the proceeded forward. As per their orders, they marched straight toward Lieutenant Andrews and took a corral position in front of the young engineer. Park spoke for the pair of security officers once they had stopped.

“Lieutenant Andrews. You will surrender your weapons and accompany us to the ship, at the order of the chief of security, Lieutenant-Commander Vincent.”

Looking abashedly over toward Josh, Sean reluctantly, but promptly, surrendered his phaser rifle and side arm. He knew this would happen eventually, but had hoped for a little more time for exploring. Regardless of the timing, Sean fell into step between the two burly security men and, under the watchful, and perhaps scornful gaze of all the others in the cavern, was escorted toward the exit and the awaiting transport back to the Phoenix.

Elliago watched them come and go with confusion in his sparkling purple eyes.

"Okay... what did I miss here?"

Walking past the confused Doctor Commander Riker approached the security team placing his hand up in a gesture for the team to stop.

"That is quite enough of that.  Unhand that officer and allow him to return to his duties"

As the first officer in the rank began to speak Riker cut him off.

"Are you apprehending him just because he forged a medical order to sneak his way onto this away mission?"

The guard raised an eyebrow surprised the Commander knew and even more surprised the Commander seemed okay with it.

"If you check the text logs I have been sending back to the ship I planned on full disciplinary actions when we returned to the ship."

Point at the Lieutenant Riker continued.

"Lieutenant Andrews is obviously stupid enough to think he would not get caught or maybe dumb enough not to care, but the fact is that we are in no position to be cutting the away team.  Especially not someone who has an idea of what exactly is going on down here."

Pulling a comms PAAD from his pocket Riker, touched a few buttons.

"As you can see from the text entries I have taken full responsibility for Lieutenant Andrews and will continue to do so until this mission is over.  At which time he will stand before myself and the Captain for his actions."

The foremost security officer began to speak.

"But Sir Lieutenant Commander Vincent..."

Riker cut him off again.

"Lieutenant Commander Vincent is chief of security.  What Andrews did was a violation but it does not put the direct security of this mission or more importantly this team in jeopardy.  Therefore this still falls under my authority as executive officer and away team mission commander."

A harsh tone now filled Riker's voice as he pointed directly at Lieutenant Andrews.

"I say again... let him go."

Master at Arms Park, perplexed but still under authority of the chain of command, reluctantly nodded toward Thalesh to return Andrews' weapon. Sean received the rifle and stepped away from them, taking a position aft of Commander Riker. The two security officers nodded salutes to Riker and turned away to go and report the circumstances to their boss. As the pair of security men moved away, Sean spoke.

"Thank you sir. And sir? I know i broke a few rules to get down here, but I needed to. Somehow, I felt the need to get down here. I cannot explain it any other way."

Putting his finger as if to tell Lieutenant Andrews to stop talking Riker's eyes told the story of anger and furry as he spoke.

"Frankly I do not care why you thought you needed to be here.  This is not one of those holodeck fantasies where you can do the wrong thing and then no one cares because you saved the day.  Look around you Lieutenant this is real life and real life has consequences.  Know that the only reason you are still here is because you are more valuable to the mission, and thus your crew mates, because of your experience down here."

Dropping his hand and turning to return to work.

"The second that changes I will call security myself, so you want to stay down here... stay irreplaceable"

With that Riker nodded to Andrews and walked back towards the section of the cavern he had been working with. 

((Good... continue this scenario... i.e. tag to Andrews) ) )  Still waiting....