Canterra – Operation Winter Haven Dead Men Walking

Posted on 07 Sep 2019 @ 10:42pm by Captain Edward Bolingbroke (Dec-Jan 2389 - TRNSFR After Gorn War) & Lieutenant Amiri Aldana 365, D.V.M., M.D. & Lieutenant Commander T'Lara & Lieutenant Harry Stevens & Lieutenant Perrin Arc & Lieutenant Junior Grade Artemis Ward, M.D. (Jan 2389 - TRSNFR After Gorn War) & Hospital Apprentice Quinn McCoy (Jan 2389 - KIA Gorn War)

Mission: Hahai i na pilikua nui - Hunting Monsters
Location: The Xore Strike Mine Holding Level
Timeline: T+3 21:03hrs Zulu

[ON]

[Holding level]

With the newly arrived portable medical facilities and replicators set up and running the Medical team had what they needed to treat the injured. Operations crew and Marines handed out food, clothing and blankets.

There was a steady buzz of chatter, even laughter amongst the colonists; clean clothes, good food, safety and security had worked their magic. Many were still pensive, apprehensive, others asked about family or friends, many about their children, for most there were no answers to the questions.

Overall the relief of their liberation was drastically improving the mood of the people.

Without warning there was a scream!

It came from the western side of the cavern, near the area occupied by the Implanted workers.

Throughout the evening they had remained sitting or lying passively on their bunks. Most not speaking, simply staring blankly around them. Medics had moved among them, but few had any urgent medical needs and the focus had been on the other group.

The cavern went quiet, heads turned to look but the mass of people, the bunks and other structures blocked the view.

There was another scream, then another, a series of frightened cries echoed from the rocky walls.

T'Lara was making lists as she helped one of the colonists, when the screams were heard. She turned over in the direction of the sound, only tilting her head slightly looking without changing her expression, yet remaining calm, as she scanned the area with her eyes.

Dr. Ward looked up from his work as the commotion intensified. As a first responder his initial reaction was to gather up his kit and run toward the screaming. He cast about for the source as he approached closer to the panic.

Perrin stood and looked in the direction of the commotion. Then he reached down and grabbed up the prone girl in a buddy drag, setting her in a shadowed place. When he had put her down, he strafed quickly against the shadow of the cavern wall to a better vantage point without being noticed.

Aldana had been taking a minor break. S/he’d been snacking on a nutrition bar and hydration fluid – occasionally sharing some with Sombra – when the scream pierced hir ears. S/he perked up, and turning to face the sound of the scream, s/he looked around for a full-size medkit, and –purely as a precaution – grabbed a Type-I phaser. Lastly s/he grabbed a headlamp and activated the one on Sombra’s pack; they were underground after all.

A scream usually meant danger, and danger often meant someone might be injured. Aldana gathered up Sombra’s lead. ~Ready?~

~Sombra seemed to nod.~

The hybrid doctor tapped hir commbadge. =/\=Security, we have a situation down here. Be prepare to take crowd control.=/\= Aldana and Sombra headed toward the sound of the scream.

There was no response to the hail. No Security staff were assigned to the mine, which was under control of the Marine Infantry assault force.

There was no response to the hail. No Security staff were assigned to the mine, which was under control of the Marine Infantry assault force.

[Elsewhere]

Having been told to rest by the field medic, Harry awoke to the sounds of screaming as he bolted upright and smacked his head upon the top bunk, swearing he said, “Oh frack,” as he swung his legs off of his bed and stood up. As he did so he was surprised that his vision had cleared up which was good, now all he had to do was find a weapon.

Suddenly there was panic, colonists began running, knocking over beds and each other, cries and screams, shouts of anger and fear as a mass of people began trying to get away from the western end of the cavern.

Behind them came another wave, slower, their movements ponderous and jerky. The Implanted colonists advanced, lurching and stumbling forward, arms held out, unnaturally before them.

Previously passive, their faces were now alive, showing looks of fear and anguish. Many cried out, their voices confused and fearful

Whenever they encountered one of the un-implanted colonists, they swarmed around them, clutching and tearing at them, pummeling them with clumsy blows or kicks, driving them down to the ground to be trampled on by those behind.

Those attacked cried out in terror and pain, their attackers cried out in anguish. Many called warnings “Get away! Run! Get away from us! We’ll kill you! Run Please Run!”

T'Lara saw the implanted colonists heading their way coming closer. Her first reaction would be getting in defense mode, but she had a duty to the injured. “The Gorn turned the implanted colonist on us.” She called out. “Keep out of their way.”

She fell quiet a split second before she hit her combadge. =/\= Captain Bolingbroke, this is Doctor T'Lara, we need back up at the holding level =/\=

“They’re still weakened!” Dr. Ward called out to the assorted Starfleet personnel in the room. “We may be able to restrain them!” He retreated back from the approaching hoard and began rifling through his medical supplies at a furious pace.

The implanted colonists generally appeared healthier and better fed than the other workers. Regardless of condition their movements were agitated and forceful as though being driven on, despite the body’s physical state.

Perrin drew his type-II from his hip and started firing at the implanted colonists. “HIGH STUN!” he cried, “HIGH STUN ONLY!”

Some fell easily to the phaser beam, dropping unconscious their bodies hindered those following, who fell or stumbled.

But there was over six hundred implanted colonists, despite the loss of those stunned, they rolled across the cavern like a jerking stumbling wave.

How much battery power or time it took to stun them all was impossible to calculate.

Doctor Aldana zig-zagged between the fleeing and panicking colonists, casting about for injured. =/\=Security, we definitely have a situation down here, we need crowd control now!=/\=

Sombra discovered the first downed victim and barked.

Aldana halted, luckily no one was currently upon them. S/he knelt and after taking some scans of the man, s/he started rendering first aid.

Having pushed though the colonists as they ran from the Implanted ones the Doctor was now left in the open area between the retreating colonists and the advancing wave of murderous implanted workers.

Within seconds dozens of them began to close on the physician as they tended to the fallen man. Hands outstretched and grasping the first ones grabbed at Aldana and Sombra, others moved to encircle the pair and the injured male.

As Aldana and Sombra were surrounded by the hoard of Implanted Colonists, the doctor put hirself between hir patient and the others. Pulling Sombra close, s/he tried to remember to breath as s/he tried to work a little more quickly to heal the man.

The colonists narrowed in on Aldana slowly, but in numbers. Soon the three of them were cut off from the others.

Sombra was beginning to feel overwhelmed; the instincts started to creep in. ~Protect. Protect pack. Protect Alph-~

~No, pal, my ‘g’d bouy.’ Calm, it will be alright.~

The Implanted Colonists hands and fingers were pawing at the doctor, hir patient, and hir companion.

Sombra knew that Alpha only used his favorite special name when s/he really needed him to listen and trust hir. He felt hir hands fumble what s/he’d called a ‘transponder;’ it had been something that was a part of his collar.

One of the Implanted Colonists seized her by the tail with a vicelike grip. Aldana bit-down on hir lip to keep from bellowing in pain. S/he tried to wedge hirself between the man, and the zombie-like others. One of the Implanted Colonists then slowly wrapped one of its arms about the waist of the doctor.

S/he was distraught as the situation began to move far beyond hir control. At least, s/he managed to hold on to Sombra.

Others began to pummel at the three, arms and fists swinging clumsily but brutally effective when they connected. Despite their protestations the Colonists had been dispatched with one purpose and one alone, to kill!

Quinn had followed the medical team as Doctor T'Lara shouted orders about setting the phasers on high stun. She wasn't used to using phasers or any weapon besides a caman stick for playing iomain or shinty. It was a lot like Hockey in ways but she much preferred shinty. A phaser wasn't anything like a caman stick though her hands shook and she really wasn't confident that this was a good idea.

Then Doctor Aldana got swarmed by the implanted human colonists and started blabbering about odd things. Quinn wondered if the Doctor had drunk something spoiled or that was causing her to hilousinate or something.

Quinn ran forward to try and help but found herself surrounded, her hands shook so badly that the first strike from an implanted man knocked the phaser cleanly out of her grip and to the floor of the cavern. It wasn't her brightest move but Quinn dove after the phaser it was kicked around as the implanted folks closed around her their cries and apologies drowning out her own yells for help as the landed blow after blow and pulled at her limbs....

As she was pummeled and beaten by the colonists, who had no control over their actions because of the implants and the fiendishly conning of the Gorn, Quinn Emery McCoy's last thoughts were, of her favorite song.

"O chì, chì mi na mórbheanna (Oh I see, I see the great mountains)
O chì, chì mi na córrbheanna (Oh I see, I see the lofty mountains)
O chì, chì mi na coireachan (Oh I see, I see the corries)
Chì mi na sgoran fo chèo. (I see the peaks under the mist)....."






As Harry continued up the path looking for a weapon, he noticed bodies dropping as he noticed someone coming into view discharging their weapon, Harry called out “Watch out I’m Starfleet!” he continued, “I’m Lieutenant Jg Harry Stevens Chief Security officer from the USS Hawaii…”

A Marine Corpsman saw him, recognizing him as one of the infiltration team he had treated earlier.

“Lieutenant! Here!” He tossed Stevens a phaser pistol and spare battery pack. Unslinging his own rifle, he joined the Security Officer. “Glad to see you’re awake! What’s the plan?”

"Thank you Private....," replied Harry as he hadn't met the young man before, he continued," it seams the plan is weapons on high stun and knock out the implanted colonists," as he made sure the weapon in his hand was fully charged.

“Let’s start taking them down” He called to the Corpsman and led the way through the bunks towards the ongoing wave of Implants.

T'Lara managed to find her weapon. When she was a pirate, she wasn’t afraid to use the occasional weapons when needed. Life of a pirate wasn’t easy. Although she noticed her colleagues in Starfleet or her civilian colleagues didn’t like to use the weapons. She had set the hand phaser to maximum stun. She stood next to a stretcher with a a colonist on it. He was badly injured and had just been treated. If she was on the Batavius, she probably was ordered to set her phaser to kill and start with the injured colonist next to it. She looked a moment at the colonist and then she turned to the implanted colonists coming at her. She fired at them.

She heard the colonist moan softly next to her. She reached out to him not looking and tapped him on the shoulder. “It is ok,” she said in a monotone tone. She continued firing. She hadn’t closed the com.

=/\= “Where is my back up?!” =/\= She almost shouted. Mostly not in the com, but it could be heard. There was no emotion in it. But they lost precious ground, and they were getting more injured than they had before.

=/\=Bolingbroke to T'Lara! =/\= The sounds of weapons fire and explosions came through with the Captain’s transmission =/\= We can’t respond, we’re in a firefight! What’s the problem? =/\=

=/\= The Implanted Colonist are attacking the rest =/\= T'Lara explained, the Vulcan detachment not expressing the full horror of the situation

=/\=Dammit! It’s the Gorn, they did the same to us down here! Stun them, you have to stun them! They ar-… =/\= The rest of the transmission cut off!

T'Lara looked around, there were hundreds of the Implanted Colonists, thousands of other colonists and too few Starfleet personnel. It would not be possible with the numbers they had.

=/\= Doctor T'Lara this is Captain Bjornsdotter, Marine Infantry. =/\= The Doctor’s commbadge activated with a new voice =/\= We are coming to help. Hold on, it will be a few minutes, but we are coming! =/\=

=/\= Acknowledged. Please hurry =/\= T'Lara replied

She called to her medical team “The Marines are coming, but we have to hold out until they arrive. Draw your phasers, set them on maximum stun and form a line here” She pointed, her fingers tracing an arc around the area containing the portable medical facilities, OR, biobeds, lab and supplies.

“The other colonists must fend for themselves until the Marines arrive, but we must keep the implanted ones away from the most badly injured and our equipment.” She said, her voice calm despite her inner feelings.

Nurses and Operations crew ran to the place she had marked out, drawing weapons and preparing to make a stand. The Nurses nervous and unused to combat, the Operations crew less so but still anxious.

A couple of Marine Corpsmen saw what T'Lara planned and jogged over to join the line. “Relax, when they come just fire in a wide beam, swing it slowly in front of you” One began coaxing the Nurses around him “They’ll go down, just keep the beam steady”

"You know, maybe I can..." Dr. Ward mused out loud as he manipulated something inside his medical bag. He trailed off though as be saw people leveling phasers at the approaching knot of implanted patients. Serving Starfleet was full of surprises, but he would have been very glad to have never seen this one.

Perrin watched as the other medical staff adjusted the beams of their phasers. He nodded, to himself, thinking that the approach made sense. He motioned to the colonists around him that were not implanted to get past him. He tried to edge closer to the rest of the Starfleet. They had come to rescue the colonists, it only made sense for Starfleet to put themselves between the colonists and the threat. He waved his phaser with the others. Only a few fell at a time, and soon the hundreds would be upon them. He cursed the Gorn internally and readied himself to start hand-to-hand if necessary, knowing full well that he might die here.

Beyond the line colonists ran, panicked and confused, behind them came a wave of the Implanted, battering down everything in their path. Soon nobody was between them, the medical are and the line of personnel ready to defend it.

“Run! Please!” An Implanted man called them; his hands red with blood “I can’t control what I’m doing! Please! I don’t want to hurt you!”

Soon the line was surrounded by a wall of Implants, jerking and stumbling towards them, hands outstretched, fingers grasping.

“Fire” T'Lara ordered, bringing her own phaser up and aiming a stun beam at the closest Implants. Three fell, but others quickly stumbled forward to take their place.

As the horde closed in, Dr. Ward huddled behind the line of shooters and regarded his own hare-brained idea for a defense tool, he had meant to make an improvised knockout grenade using a hypospray full of anesthetic, but the was no way to prevent it from potentially knocking out the defenders as well. It was rare that he felt so useless.

Perrin had been firing. A spark of hope went off in his chest to hear more phasers going off. Perhaps they wouldn’t die today.


To Be Continued…