meanwhile in the Alpha Quadrant

"Grok, report."

The ops officer shook his head and showed to his commanding officer a sheepish smile in typical Ferengi manner on his suqat, squinty-eyed face.

"Nothing, Sir; neither the Asimov nor the away team are answering our hails. But I'm getting something odd on just abbout every comme channel."

Samji didn't smile in return.

"Define odd."

"Well... it sounds like static but... there is nothing of the typical power surge signal or weakness of output or interference that usually explains comm static. It's more like... as if somebody was deliberately sending a signal that sounded like static. Sorry Sir I know it makes no sense..."

"Put it on, Lieutenant."

The speakers of the starbase's ops center suddenly sounded as if very low, very slow, crakling voices were trying all at once to speak completely unintelligible words to them. And on the screen, what they saw transfixed everyone that gazed on it with a sudden chill shaking their spine. They saw what was evidently the small,  complex but functional bridge of a Nova class science ship. But on that bridge was littered with sprawled bodies. The whole bridge crew had fallen at their post, every system around them seemingly at idle status except for a strange reddish glow that crackled from time to time with tentacles of energy coursing from one panel to another.  

Right in front of them, the face of a dark-haired Human woman slowly came into the screen frame. As she slowly turned, it appeared that the strange, eerie sound came from her, her distended jaw moving in slow, erratic manner as if she was trying to dislocate it, yet matching the ghoulish sounds theyr were all hearing. But what was most striking was her face itself, it glowed with a ghostly swirl of red and blue lights that seemed to emanate from her very skin and wide, unblinking eyes.

" That's Captain Ross! Grok, try to decypher what she's trying to..."

Commander karen Schmidt didn't had any time to finish her order. Suddenly, ribbons of red energies shor out from every speaker around them and ran like worms made of electricity over every system until it came in contact with a living body. Every time a person was touched by the discharge, it fell on the floor and started to contort as if under excruciating pain. Then, their face started to glow with the reddish display of spectral lights that distorted the face on the screen.

Being in the very center of the entire vast command center, Grok, Schmidt and Samji saw the wave of living energy emerge from the outer ring and move towrds them. With a powerful display of desperate strength, Schmidt grabbed Grok by his collar and hoisted him bodily out of his chair to Samji as she pushed him away from the console.

"Clear out!" she yelled.

And, as she roughly shoved both men towards the turbolift, she turned and ran straight into the closest red discharge. Even as she was struck, her momentum caried her into another one which also grabbed her, sending her falling into a thirde one.

Samji didn't hesitate. Grabbing the stumbling ferengi by both shoulders, he half-draged, half guided him into the turbolift and with his foot kicked the door shut.

"Computer! Erect a level 10 forcefield around main turbolift shaft!"

The telltale glimmer of bleuish energies envelopped them just as reddish tendrils of lightning were starting to slide around the doorframe. The activation of the field suddenly dispersed the reddish glow in a brief spreading flash and, after a few red sparkle here and there, all became quiet.

"Computer! Lock down all command functions of the starbase to my level 1 personal command codes only, authorization Samji black-zero-omega-kali!"

"Command code confirmed; lock down established under starbase recognized commander authority only."

As he spoke, he could see some red flashes of energy coming and going through the forcefield around them, making it shimmer each time some discharge were attracted to his transmission. Samji then left a panting, confused Grok to go to the lift's command panel and put his eye into a sensor plate above the control panel and a finger on it. A circling green light went a moment to his eye.

"Command code Samji blue-one-alpha-Indra."

"Genetic identification positive. Retina scan approved. Voice recognition confirmed. Command code verified."

"Computer; place the entire starbase under quarantine conditions as per Starfleet protocol. Isolate every section with level 10 forcefields, channeling all power to them, life support, security systems, specified systems and communication. Lock down space doors and mooring systems to manual override only. Engage tractor beam on the USS Asimov. Lock phasers on standby to her and fire on any emerging object from it of from the starbase or if the vessel escapes. Send a warning buoy to all nearby ships and installations of the sector with complete logs and the following message: This is Fleet Captain Allen Samji, commander of Starbase Lotus in the Hromi Sector. We are under attack by unidentified forces. The entire starbase and nearby area is under quarantine until further notice. No transmission is allowed to the starbase as the attack exploits them to reach targets. To all ships in the sector; do not, I repeat, do not approach Starbase Lotus or attempt any contact with it or any ship in it's immediate vicinity. Protect yourselves and avoid spreading the threat. I repeat; Do not approach Starbase Lotus. Under my personal authority as starbase commander, I herby state General Orders 35 and 36 to be in effect."

At these words, Grok's coppery skin turned almost white.

"Sir... you just declared..."

The Hindu man nodded gravely, not even looking at him as he spoke.

"No Federation vessel, civilian or Starfleet, is allowed to approach a designated area under quarantine by order of Starfleet or the Federation Council unless such visitation falls under the Prime Directive, an emergency situation or a request for aid."

"That's... General Order 36, Fleet Captain Sir. But General Order 35 states..."

"Should the entire personel of a vessel or installation becomes severely incapacitated due to a medical or environemental contaminant, risk of spreading the contagion is to be contained within a twenty-four hours period after initial discovery of cause... by destroying said vessel or installation."