Star Trek Hunter Episode 8: The Bolian Web

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Continued from Episode 7: The Great Mushroom

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 8: The Bolian Web

“From the beginnings of our great common enterprise, Star Fleet captains have wrestled with the Prime Directive; Federation doctors have struggled with prohibitions around genetic engineering. It is so hard to know that you have the power to help and be prevented from doing so by regulation. But these prohibitions are a necessary precaution to enforce the first commandment of Federation Ethics: THOU SHALT NOT PLAY GOD!!!”

Dr. Kenny Dolphin, Fundamentals of Federation Ethics.

 

[Gibraltar]

Haven't we learned by now that Starfleet rules and regulations are merely guidelines?

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Haven't we learned by now that Starfleet rules and regulations are merely guidelines?

Captain Kirk taught us that... I saw a scorecard on SF captains with respect to actually adhering to the Prime Directive. Captain Janeway came out the best in that category. Kirk... dead last.

Thanks!! rbs

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 8: The Bolian Web
Scene 1: Paleonus V

8.1
Paleonus V​

Paleonus V, seen from orbit, was an exceptionally beautiful planet. Vast oceans of blue and green waters complemented continents with many varieties of forestation, lakes, enormous rivers - some of which ran red or brown - savannas and deserts - vast swathes of brilliant color. A planet reserved for primeval wilderness supporting vast herds of gigantic herbivores that could be seen from orbit. A total of 14 research stations were located in various environments around the planet. Research stations mostly inhabited by bolians. Or they had been…

At this moment, those research stations contained only bodies. Dead blue ones. The medical ship U.S.S. Atul Goel, had evacuated the few surviving humans, vulcans and andorians - fewer than 15 people in all.

The Atul Goel was completing its mission and preparing to break orbit as the Hunter arrived. This was a surprise to Commander David Pepper as the Hunter had been summoned urgently to Paleonus V and had arrived only 7 hours after the emergency call came through.


Pep always felt a little uncomfortable in the captain’s chair - which was not unreasonable, considering that it was too small for him and he was always a little concerned he might break it. With a slight hand signal, he instructed Lt. Commander Mlady, currently standing watch at the bridge tactical station behind the captain’s chair, to hail the medical ship.

“Atul Goel, this is the U.S.S. Hunter, David Pepper commanding. We were notified of a medical emergency at Paleonus V and arrived as quickly as we could.”

Pep was simply astonished at the face that appeared on the viewer.

“Hunter, this is the U.S.S. Atul Goel, Fleet Admiral Scumuk commanding. I regret to inform you that you have arrived too late.” The elderly vulcan was wearing a blue uniform. He was the highest ranking doctor in Star Fleet and Star Fleet’s fourth highest ranking officer - the Director of Star Fleet Medical. “From our research, the pathogen the bolians picked up here on Paleonus V is 100% fatal to bolians, but did not have any effect on vulcans. The humans here experienced symptoms similar to those of a head cold and recovered without treatment. The andorians had a much more severe reaction, but were all successfully treated. I have quarantined the survivors. I am placing Paleonus V under quarantine. No landings are to be conducted and no material of any kind is to be beamed up.”

“Understood, Fleet Admiral,” Pep responded.

“We must break orbit,” said Scumuk. “I was on my way to a conference and happened to be in the area. I assume with a planetary quarantine in place that you will be breaking orbit to return to your patrol, Commander.”

“That is not up to me, Fleet Admiral,” Pep replied. “I will inform Justice Irons.”

“Ah, so this is Minerva Irons’ command,” the admiral responded. “Unfortunately, we must depart immediately. Please give the justice my regards. Scumuk out.” The transmission ended with an odd sense of abruptness. Pep watched as the Atul Goel launched six quarantine buoys, which began flashing red and broadcasting the medical quarantine warning on all frequencies as they took up positions in high orbit of Paleonus V. The Atul Goel broke orbit immediately on launching the buoys.


Flight Specialist Winnifred Salazaar, currently at the pilot’s station on the bridge of the Hunter, turned to look at his first officer. “Sir, the admiral was lying.”

“What are you telling me, Winnie? What was he lying about?” Pep was aware that Salazaar was half betazoid and seemed to have inherited a strong telepathic ability. He was also aware that vulcans very rarely lied and, whether they were lying or not, they tended to be extremely difficult for even the most talented telepaths to read due to their mental discipline and their own native telepathic abilities.

“From what I could tell, everything.” Salazaar rejoined. “And he wanted me to know he was lying. It was like he was screaming it at me.”

The Hunter’s interactive avatar, in the form of an older man with a pot belly, a gray beard and a white lab coat, appeared unbidden in the space behind the navigator’s station. “Pep, based on Mr. Salazaar’s statements, I reviewed the transmission from the Atul Goel. There are several unusual things about it.”

“Are you telling me you think Fleet Admiral Scumuk was lying?” Pep asked with some surprise.

“Yes, but it’s more than that,” Hunter replied. “That transmission included biometric readings from the entire crew and also from the evacuees. That crew is under tremendous stress and currently there are 8 crew members in quarantine, including Captain John Kelley, and Assistant Medical Director Mettus Klox. The Atul Goel had 17 bolian crew members, including the first officer and medical director. All of them are dead. Furthermore, my long range sensors just picked up a course change.”

“Where is that ship going, Hunter?” Pep asked, with a significant sense of foreboding.


“The Bolarus system.”


Pep surged out of the captain’s chair with some difficulty. “Kenny Dolphin, wake up and get your butt to the tactical unit!” Pep glanced over his shoulder at Mlady.

Mlady, in turn issued several orders. “Lieutenant Gamor, Ensign Phillips, Navigator Strahl to the bridge!”

The enormous first officer was already headed toward the captain’s office. “Winnie - you’re with me. Hunter - we need you too. Sarekson Carrera - join us in the captain’s office.”

At the moment Pep got to the door, it opened and Justice Irons’ voice could be heard within, “Enter...”

Within a minute, 2nd Lt. Gamor arrived. Mlady released the tactical station to her and headed toward the hatch leading up to the tactical unit.

Lt. Dolphin arrived a second later. He was in uniform, but his blonde hair was still wild from sleep and he needed a shave. Gamor touched him on the shoulder and whispered, “Comb your hair, sir.” Dolphin ran his fingers through his hair as he hurried toward the open hatch. There was no discernible improvement - his hair still looked like it was terrified of everything to his right and was stumbling all over itself in an attempt to go as far to his left as possible.

Navigator Eli Strahl was next to the bridge. Strahl’s long, wavy brown hair and short, neatly trimmed beard mostly covered the very faint spots he had inherited from a trill grandparent. He was primarily betazoid and strongly telepathic. He restrained his hair into a pony tail as he took his place at the navigator’s station, then began quickly entering calculations into the console. Ensign Ethan Phillips and Dr. Sarekson Carrera came in last. Gamor surrendered the tactical station to Phillips and took the empty pilot’s chair.

Dr. Carrera headed directly to the captain’s office. The door opened before he got to it and Justice Irons’ voice could be heard beyond, “Come in, Sarekson.”

Moments later, Ensign Sun Ho Hui arrived at the bridge. At that same moment, the door to the captain’s office opened, disgorging Dr. Carrera, Winnifred Salazaar, Pep and finally Justice Minerva Irons. The cramped bridge was now crowded.


Irons had donned the robe of her office as appellate justice. She addressed the Hunter’s crew.

“Shipwide: This is At-Large Appellate Justice Minerva Irons. I have issued an emergency judgement against Fleet Admiral Scumuk and have lodged this judgement and the accompanying injunction with Star Fleet. Whether Star Fleet agrees with me or not is irrelevant. You are a JAG crew and you will follow the orders of the Tribunal above any Star Fleet orders. I have never instructed you to violate the orders of an admiral before and I am not instructing you to do so now. I am issuing an emergency injunction against Fleet Admiral Scumuk’s orders under Section 3 of the Federation Charter and in agreement with Section 9 of the Tribunal Charter and Section 4 of the Star Fleet Charter. Fleet Admiral Scumuk is not in control of his faculties or is under the control of another entity and is currently enjoined against issuing any orders under the color of his rank and office. Any orders you may have received from him in the past 48 hours are null and void.”

Everyone on the bridge was focused on the justice. She spared a moment to look around the bridge. Her crew were stunned, but had clearly digested and accepted her ruling. She turned to her first officer. “David, stop that ship before they commit another genocide. I will be in ground operations, then medical.” Irons turned and exited the bridge, followed by Dr. Carrera.

8.1 (of 20)​

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Instead of the crew roster, this time I'm posting the command structure of Star Fleet.
I'm only including the names of the Admirals that appear in this story. A few more will appear who do not occupy one of these leadership positions. I will note them below...

1.) Star Fleet Commandant Barret th'Zoarhi, at age 41, is the youngest person ever to hold that position. She is also the first who never commanded a starship or served in combat. While she is andorian, she was born and raised in Toronto, Canada and considers herself Canadian (and has the accent to prove it.) She came up through the Quartermaster's office and was chosen for her ability to organize a massive overhaul of a shattered Star Fleet following the Dominion War and the 3rd Borg Incursion.

2.) At age 36, Chief of Staff Jamaal El Fadil is also the youngest to hold that office. He was also chosen for his ability to quickly restaff a decimated Star Fleet, which included heavy recruitment of non-humans, particularly hybrids and bolians. El Fadil is Egyptian.

3.) Fleet Admiral Miriam Stewart, Director of Star Fleet Operations, is the polar opposite of the top two officers in Star Fleet. At 87, she is older than both of them together. She is a highly decorated officer, having served on the front lines in every major combat since the Cardassian War. Stewart is an African American from Atlanta, Georgia.

4.) Fleet Admiral Scumuk, Director of Star Fleet Medical, is 191 years old and is the most decorated officer in Star Fleet history. He has been credited with saving entire civilizations from weaponized diseases and served with distinction in every conflict over the past 120 years. He is one of the longest serving officers in Star Fleet history.

5.) Star Fleet Judge Advocate General Admiral Urban Yasatake has mixed Japanese and Italian ancestry and was born and raised in Rome, Italy. While the U.S.S. Hunter (and all the Prowler class ships) are technically under his jurisdiction, the Hunter is detailed to the Federation Tribunal.

6.) Fleet Admiral Alynna Nechayev, at age 86, is the Director of Star Fleet Intelligence. She is the only Star Fleet officer in history to be court martialed, convicted, sent to prison, escaped, later quietly exonerated and restored to service. Like every director of SFI, Nechayev is a ranking member of the super secret organization, Section 31.

Rear Admiral Sally Zimmerman Eaves is the Deputy Judge Advocate General under Admiral Yasatake.

Rear Admiral Samantha Burton is the commander of Star Base 11, in orbit of Ocean.

Rear Admiral Will Riker is the Deputy Director of Deep Space Exploration.

Vice Admiral Senvol is the commander of Star Base 5, in orbit of Vulcan. He also serves in the Vulcan High Command, for which he commands homeworld defense operations for the vulcan homeworld fleet. Senvol is also a ranking member of Section 31.

A new command will be organized during this story - Star Fleet Temporal Command. The director of this new command, when established, will report directly to Star Fleet Commandant th'Zoarhi.

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 8: The Bolian Web
Scene 2: Dr. Napoleon Boles

8.2
Dr. Napoleon Boles​

The smilmonouth was not a particularly sneaky predator. It is difficult to sneak up on prey when you are 15 meters long and the ground shakes with every step. Nevertheless, the large, smelly predator was doing its best to creep up on its small, blue prey. The smilmonouth could move easily on all six legs, but the front two feet were differentiated from the others, allowing the enormous beast to raise the front half of its body into a vertical position, grasp its prey, rend it and bring the pieces to its slavering mouth and enormous fangs.

Nearly every large animal on Paleonus V was hexapodous and almost all except for the largest herbivores could stand up on their hind legs, but the smilmonouth was the only one with significantly differentiated forefeet. There was little chance this would lead to tool development as the beast’s teeth and size made it easily the apex predator on the planet, and it tended to be a solitary predator.

As such, it was entirely unprepared for the astounding amount of blinding pain that suddenly overwhelmed it. Each time it backed away from its blue, bipedal prey, the pain stopped. Each time it advanced, there was a flash of light and more blinding pain. The smilmonouth was nowhere near human intelligence, but it was easily smart enough to figure out that this prey was better left alone. The enormous carnivore slinked away in search of less electrifying prey.


Dr. Napoleon Boles put his phaser away and brought out his tricorder again. He was not afraid of the smilmonouth (thanks to the standard issue Star Fleet phaser rifle he kept handy against the local wildlife.) He had actually gotten much closer to the apex predator during its sleep and had the readings and close-up video to prove it. There were smaller, stealthier and much faster predators he was far more concerned about.

He was still clad in his blue Star Fleet uniform, but only because it was by far the most durable and comfortable garment he had ever worn. Dr. Boles’ skin was a deeper blue than his uniform and his hairless head had stripes of such dark blue they were almost black. His skin was shiny and almost iridescent, giving the top of his head the appearance of a fine agate marble. Boles was tough, conditioned to stand up to this kind of work. Only this wasn’t work. This was vacation.


But all good things must end and after 30 days living in seclusion among the wildlife of Paleonus V, Dr. Boles was nearing the research station on the southeastern continent. His tricorder was full, his phaser batteries were almost depleted, his ration bag was empty, the small amount of water left in his canteen was suspiciously brackish, his uniform seriously needed to be recycled and his stomach was starting to make rather alarmingly rebellious noises.

Research Station P5’11 was concealed in a rocky dell where the large animals could not get to it. And on the door of P5’11 was a red band, sealing the door. For the first time in 30 days, Dr. Boles turned his communicator on and immediately received the quarantine message. He cleared this message and sent an emergency broadcast, hoping against hope that someone might be listening.


Ensign Ethan Phillips was still at the tactical station when the message came through.

“Commander, we have a transmission coming from the planet, audio only…”

“Put it through, Ethan,” Commander David Pepper responded.

“…quarantine is about? Message repeats - This is Star Fleet Lieutenant, Dr. Napoleon Boles to any research station or any vessel that can read this signal. I am requesting emergency beamout. And can someone please explain to me what this quarantine is about?”

“You can reset your communicator, Dr. Boles. This is the U.S.S. Hunter in orbit of Paleonus V, David Pepper commanding. We are reading your location just outside Paleonus V research station #11. Do not enter the research station. I repeat, do not enter the research station. Dr. Boles, we are reading your physiology as bolian. Can you confirm? You have an odd name for a bolian.”

“It is good to hear your voice, sir. I am half bolian, half human. I have no intention of entering the research station, but I am not safe in this location. My supplies are depleted and I just used most of the remaining charge in my phaser fending off a large predator. There are other predators that can get to me down here. Can you beam me out?”

“Not at this moment, Dr. Boles, but we will send you a hardened shelter, a fully charged phaser and food supplies. You should receive these within the next 15 minutes. We are reading that your communicator is fully charged - can you confirm?”

“Confirmed. I had my communicator turned off while I was taking shore leave,” Boles responded.

“Keep this channel open, Dr. Boles,” said Pep.

“Can you tell me where the Atul Goel is?” Boles asked.

“The Atul Goel broke orbit about 45 minutes ago, why?” asked Pep.

“Why did they leave without me?”

“I cannot answer that question, Dr. Boles. Were they supposed to pick you up?”

“I am their life sciences officer. I took 30 days leave, which will be up in about 2 hours.”


Pep swiveled the captain’s chair to look at Ensign Ethan Phillips. He pointed sharply at the door at the back of the bridge. Phillips looked questioningly at his first officer. Pep rolled his eyes, then placed his hands near the top of his head, his index fingers extending just above his antenna mounts. He wiggled his fingers and moved his head from side to side in a caricaturization of Investigator Shran’s head and antenna movements. He then used a finger to point to the door, then made a summoning motion. Phillips nodded and exited the bridge.


“We were unaware,” Pep continued, at the same time as he was giving Ensign Phillips an order by pantomime. “It’s been a busy time up here and you might have gotten lost in the shuffle. Conference mode Dr. Boles, Cargo Bay 2.”

“This is Cargo Bay 2, Ensign Sun Ho Hui here.”

“Hui, are you ready to transport the shelter and other supplies down to Dr. Boles?”

“Affirmative, Commander,” came Sun’s voice. “Dr. Boles, we now have a visual on your location. I will send you a phaser rifle first. You will need to take it, then step out of the protected area so we can beam the shelter in. I have tied the replicator into the transporter, so we will be actually replicating the shelter on location using local materials. Once the shelter is in place, I will transport the supplies and the shelter door directly into the shelter. At that point you can enter the shelter and secure the door.”

“Napoleon, this is Commander Pepper signing out. Please keep this channel open. I’m going to leave you in contact with Ensign Sun. Hui, once you have secured Dr. Boles in the shelter, please transfer him to Medical and let the Doc update him about the quarantine.”

“Aye sir,”


Ensign Phillips had returned to the bridge and ended the transmission. Investigator Lynhart Shran had followed Phillips onto the bridge.

Pep motioned for Shran to join him, “Come on down here, Lenny. Hunter...”

The ship’s holographic avatar appeared in his preferred location behind the navigator’s station.

“Hunter, I recall you said the transmission from the Atul Goel informed you that there were 17 bolian crew members, all dead. Was there any mention of a half-bolian, half-human crew member?”

“There was no mention at all of Lieutenant Boles,” the avatar replied. “The record indicated there was an open position for a large-animal life scientist.”

“Lenny, check this out. Find out where our Dr. Boles came from, when he got here - I want to know everything about him. Let Lieutenant Tauk know that I asked and I want those answers fast.”

“Sure thing, boss. Tauk and T’Lon are meeting with the judge at the moment,” Shran replied.

Pep responded. “I know. That’s why I summoned you. Interrupt them. This is important. They need to know that we have a mystery on our hands here.”

“You mean another one, boss. They seem to be multiplying,” Shran observed.

Pep nodded and raised his eyebrows, “Get to the bottom of them, Lenny. Go get me some answers.”

Shran nodded, then turned and left the bridge.

8.2 (of 20)​

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 8: The Bolian Web
Scene 3: Bulldog Xhot

8.3
Bulldog Xhot​

Being in the brig was almost a blessing to Captain John Kelley. He barely knew what was going on, but at least he was in control of his own mind.

The U.S.S. Atul Goel was a medical ship and as such did not have an actual brig. What it did have was 8 separate quarantine facilities, each of which looked onto the main surgery. As a result, Captain Kelley and several of his staff had a front row seat for the suffering and deaths of their bolian crewmates. All 17 of them.

What few glimpses Captain Kelley got of the rest of his crew made it evident that they were operating under extreme duress. They were clearly aware of what they were doing, evidently horrified by their actions, but unable to control their own behavior.

The expressions on the faces of his crew were heartbreaking. These people had somehow been coerced not just to kill their friends and crewmates, but to watch them die agonizing, lingering deaths. From disease. Inside Star Fleet’s most advanced mobile medical facility.


“What makes matters even worse is that it is Fleet Admiral Scumuk who is doing all of this,” Kelley said to his cellmate, first officer and best friend, Commander Ardoggbul Xhot. “I even know a few vulcans who get teary eyed at the mention of his name. He’s the most decorated officer in Star Fleet history - a hero to all of us.”

Commander Xhot nodded. He was a great listener and also an expert wrestler. He was of average size and build for a bolian - a people not remarkable for physical strength. But Ardoggbul Xhot was the type who never gave up. He had managed to live through hardships that killed everyone else around him. And given his prowess at wrestling, he had earned the nickname that had started as a simple pun on his first name - Bulldog. He looked the part too… Bolian features added a bit to this as well - like most of his people, in addition to the powder-blue skin and the bifurcating ridge down the middle of his face, Bulldog’s eyes were a little bulbous and bulgy and his mouth a little on the jowly side.

Few humans found bolians to be even mildly handsome, but Captain Kelley had long become accustomed to that face - it was the face of a tremendously courageous officer. And Kelley’s best counselor.

“I can’t let things end this way, Bulldog,” Kelley said to his friend. “I don’t know how, but I can’t let that old vulcan’s career end this way. Scumuk’s my hero too. He has literally saved entire civilizations from the brink of extinction. No one knows more about weaponized diseases than the admiral.”

Bulldog didn’t say anything. He nodded his head sagely, then cast a glance at the door to the quarantine unit that had the captain trapped.

“You know, I think I told you that my grandfather was a Star Fleet captain, as was his father, his great-grandfather and great-great grandfather. And amazingly, Grandpa’s still alive. Captain Phillip Archer. When I got promoted, he told me one of his secrets.”

Bulldog raised an eyebrow (more of a ridge as bolians were completely hairless).

“No, this is a good one. I never told you this one - it gets passed only to Star Fleet captains - from one to another. He told me to have a backup plan in case my crew suddenly turn into zombies and remove my command access codes. And have another backup plan in case that one doesn’t work. I actually have three. I never thought my crew would actually turn into zombies. But here we are…”

Bulldog just looked at his friend. Questioning.

“Yeah, well, all of those plans are contingent on me not being quarantined in my own sick bay,” Kelley said, somewhat chagrined. “I suppose that might have been a bit of an oversight…”

Actually, Kelley only thought these things. If he had given them voice, Scumuk might have overheard. The other reason he did not voice his conversation was that Commander Ardoggbul Xhot, the Bulldog, was, like all of his bolian crewmates, no longer alive. Kelley had watched his best friend die only a few feet away from him. On a table in his own sick bay.

- * -​

Knocking a starship out of high warp without destroying it was a tricky prospect. Doing so to a Star Fleet Medical ship was far more problematic. SFM boats had only nominal phasers - incapable of damaging another ship - just a navigational tool. But what SFM boats lacked in weapons, they made up for in speed and exceptionally stable warp fields.

This was why Ensign Sun had been called to the bridge - to develop a method for safely knocking the Atul Goel out of warp and disabling it beyond repair without endangering the lives of its crew or the survivors of Paleonus V onboard. But the tactical unit only accommodated a crew of three and for this mission, there was not room for an engineer.

Navigator Eli Strahl stayed focused on his job. Like many of the U.S.S. Hunter’s crew, he was terrified of Lt. Cmdr. Mlady - in his case because it was nearly impossible for him to ignore the volatile cauldron of utterly alien, primal thoughts sitting inches behind him. She was always terribly hungry, even after she had fed. How she kept that terrible hunger under control was beyond Strahl.

Lt. Kenny Dolphin, seated to Strahl’s left, was somewhat more peaceful, but was deliberately hiding things and had his defenses up. For a human, he had become very sensitive to telepathic contact. Strahl kept his focus far outward, using his mind as well as the tactical unit’s navigational instruments to seek out the Atul Goel.

8.3 (of 20)​

 

[Gibraltar]

Holy Hell, a lot taking place here under mysterious and potentially genocidal circumstances.

Something or someone is acting as a puppeteer, making Starfleet personnel dance for their dark ends... chilling. Is it the BK #1, or another lethal specter at work?

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

...Something or someone is acting as a puppeteer, making Starfleet personnel dance for their dark ends... chilling. Is it the BK #1...

Or is BK#1 just another puppet? Are you certain you didn't just meet BK#1? Thanks!! rbs

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 8: The Bolian Web
Scene 4: Paleonus V Planetary Epidemiologist

8.4
Paleonus V Planetary Epidemiologist​

In addition to a fully charged phaser rifle, food, water, a fresh uniform, and basic living accommodations inside the shelter, Dr. Napoleon Boles had also been provided a decontamination chamber (in which he was finally able to take a desperately needed shower) and a workstation. He would have preferred to have been transported off Paleonus V, but although Fleet Admiral Scumuk’s quarantine order had been rescinded, Dr. Tali Shae had reissued the planetary quarantine under her own authority. It was a reasonable precaution.

At this moment, Dr. Boles was looking into the workstation viewer that had been sent down to his shelter and observing the faces of the leadership of the U.S.S. Hunter for the first time. They were seated around a long, curving conference table that matched the curvature of the room. Boles had heard of Captain Minerva Irons, but was astonished she was not only still alive, but commanding a JAG vessel. Given her history, he would have expected her to look much older than she appeared on his viewscreen.


“So you presented us with a little mystery, Dr. Boles,” said Commander David Pepper. “When we had contact with the Atul Goel, someone sent us the crew roster and there was no mention of you.”

“That’s nuts!” Boles exclaimed, eliciting surprised looks from some of the Hunter’s leadership. Bolians were famous for being extraordinarily polite in the most difficult of circumstances. “I started as a midshipman on the Atul Goel three years ago. It’s the only Star Fleet vessel I’ve ever served on.”

Dr. Tali Shae responded, “Yes. We pulled your Star Fleet jacket and that’s what it says as well. It also says that you have been authorized by the Tribunal to practice Federation law.”

“All bolians are encouraged to practice law. Ability to practice Bolian law is a prerequisite for full citizenship with voting rights. Any official positions with the Bolian government require us to be authorized to practice Federation law as well. I have some ambitions in that direction after my service with Star Fleet is up.”

Justice Irons spoke up. “Unfortunately, I must temporarily assign you as Star Fleet’s researcher on Paleonus V until we can clear the quarantine. I am temporarily assigning you to Lieutenant Commander Tali Shae’s department as planetary epidemiologist. I know that may be outside your training, but you are stuck there on the ground, no one else is coming, and you cannot leave, until we clear the planet. We have transferred the entire transmission from Fleet Admiral Scumuk on the Atul Goel to your work station. Unfortunately, that is all we have on this disease, so you don’t have much to work with.”

“I would appreciate the promotion if the circumstances were not so dire. As it is, I quite literally have nothing better to do,” Boles responded. “I have studied disease at some detail as it impacts my field of specialty. I am not an expert in epidemiology, but I have sufficient knowledge to start with. And you have provided me sufficient tools to begin this investigation. Do you have any idea why I was erased from the Atul Goel’s records?”

Pep responded. “We’re just guessing up here, Napoleon, but I think you might have had a friend who saw what was happening and took you out of the system to protect you. Someone wants to leave a trail of bolian bodies. Whoever took you out of your ship’s computer, whatever their motive, probably saved your life.”

“We’re going to end this transmission for now, Lieutenant,” Irons said. “In one hour, Dr. Tali Shae will contact you and get you working with her staff to help solve the riddle on your end.”

“I appreciate everything you and your crew are doing for me. I will be here when Dr. Shae is ready for me,” Boles said.

“Thank you, Dr. Boles,” Irons replied. “Hunter out.”

In the executive conference room, once the transmission from Dr. Boles was ended, Pep asked, “So, who here is convinced that our new blue friend didn’t remove himself from the Atul Goel’s roster?”

Pep looked around the room. Silence.

“That’s what I thought…”

Lt. Tauk coughed for a moment, then said, “It leaves a lot of unanswered questions.”

Irons looked at Tauk. “Get Lieutenant T’Lon and her investigators on those questions. We have far too many mysteries at the moment. And send me the current crew roster for that ship. I want to know who is onboard and who is in quarantine.”

Dr. Tali Shae was also looking at the director of ground operations. “Tauk, I would like to borrow Ensign Tolon and his team. I know those kids are fighters, not scientists, but they have been useful in processing information in the past. With Reeves’ leadership, they might be able to lend a hand in searching through our readings of the planet to see if we can get a glimpse of our superbug. Especially if we can get Dr. Boles to take some readings.”

Tauk started to answer, made a slight noise, then nodded his head. He took a drink and cleared his throat. “I’ll tell him.”

Justice Irons clicked her fingernail against the table, garnering the attention of all in the room. “In light of all that has happened here, I have reached out for some assistance – a war ship to watch our flank. David, until that help arrives, I want to maintain yellow alert status. Whoever is behind all of this might just show up or send someone to investigate and we are vulnerable with the tactical unit away in pursuit of the Atul Goel. Also, please notify me when our relief arrives – I will want to greet them.”

8.4 (of 20)​

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 8: The Bolian Web
Scene 5: Hunting the U.S.S. Atul Goel

8.5
Hunting the U.S.S. Atul Goel​

To pull off the plan developed by Ensign Sun and Lt. Carrera to disable the U.S.S. Atul Goel, the U.S.S. Hunter’s tactical unit needed a navigator who was abnormally adept at tracking (the telepathically endowed Eli Strahl = check), a pilot of unrivaled skill (daredevil Lt. Kenny Dolphin = check) and a tactical officer with a predatory instinct (ultimate apex predator Lt. Cmdr. Mlady = check). It was a complicated plan and only possible because Dr. Carrera had been able to pull down fully detailed specifications for the medical ship.


“Found them,” said Navigator Strahl, breaking nearly an hour of silence. “We’re in luck. They’re trying to be clever. They changed course and made a wide swing away from the Bolarus system to try to throw off any pursuit. I am projecting a curving trajectory back toward the Bolarus system. This delay lets us catch them much further out than if they had made a straight run for it.” Strahl was seated at the navigator’s station, with Dolphin at the pilot’s console inches to his left and Lt. Commander Mlady in the command chair centered inches behind them.

“Can we cross the T, Eli?” Dolphin asked.

“Better than planned,” Strahl responded. “We can swing wide in front, then come around tight behind. We do this right, we’re going to bring them to a full stop in dark space well off the beaten path. Nowhere near the trade routes.”

“Give us the course and program in the torpedo drops,” said Dolphin. “We blow them when we drop them, and close the box with the last one when we get in behind.”

“I want visual on the Atul Goel the entire time,” Mlady stated. “I will choose when to blow the torpedoes. I would rather have a few seconds for us to avoid any potential warpfield cavitation. That could throw our timing off on the back side of the run.”

“I can adjust for that on the fly,” Dolphin responded. “You and I would have to be in telepathic contact for you to be able to time anything longer than a drop and boom.”


“Let me put my claw in your neck.”


“What???” Dolphin turned to look at Mlady. He had never heard her tell a joke and was fairly certain from her expression that she wasn’t joking now.

“It will be quite painful,” Mlady continued. “But it will give me a direct line into your brainstem. I will know what you are going to do before you do.”

“Won’t that, like, leave a hole in the back of my neck and bleed a lot?” Dolphin asked.

“I could use the blood. And we are carrying a tactical medical hologram who can patch up the hole once I’m done with your brainstem.”

“Are you really that hungry?” Dolphin asked.

“She’s always starving,” said Strahl. He turned to look at Mlady. “I’m sorry, sir, but with you sitting right behind me, it’s like trying to block out a supernova.”

“I’m not going to eat you, Mr. Strahl,” said Mlady. “And I’m not going to hurt you…” She met his gaze until he turned around. Then she leaned forward, her face next to his ear, and said, very, very quietly, “…today…”

8.5 (of 20)​

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 8: The Bolian Web
Scene 6: Stripping the Ship

8.6
Stripping the Ship​

Crewman Tina Mata was the youngest member of the U.S.S. Atul Goel’s crew. Fresh out of basic training, she had demonstrated a talent for medical technology and had been assigned with four other recruits to the medical bay. She had liked the medical director, Dr. Orazena Varr, more than most. And that was saying something - everyone liked Dr. Varr. Bolians were famous for their courtesy, and were generally easy to like, but Dr. Varr was much more than that. She had cared deeply about each of her charges.

And she had cared about Tina - enough to mark the crewman’s Star Fleet jacket restricted and to change her profile on the roster. As far as anyone knew, Crewman Mata was entirely human. Her prescription for vanagralaxaline - the drug that inhibited her pheromone production - remained a secret between her and the ship’s chief medical officer. Mata’s hair was black, her eyes were green, her skin was dark - but there wasn’t a hint of green to the crewman’s skin, so no one could tell by looking at her that she had an orion great grandmother.

Orion women were often referred to as “slave-girls” because their pheromones tended to overwhelm the males of most humanoid species (and more than a few females) with lust, affording them tremendous suggestive control over those affected. And orion women were exceptionally resistant to telepathic control.

To maintain his control over the remaining crew, Fleet Admiral Scumuk had to condition them with mind-melds on a regular basis. Each time the admiral had conditioned Tina, although he did not know it, his control over her was less effective, until it was only a thin veil. One which she could break - but not until there was an opportunity to do something that had a chance at turning the tables.


She was in the medical bay when that opportunity arrived…

- * -​

The U.S.S. Hunter’s tactical unit dropped five photon torpedoes in space several light years in front of the Atul Goel’s path, then circled around in a tight arc at high warp to come up behind the speeding medical ship. The five torpedoes spread wide to create a large box around the point in space that would soon be occupied by the Atul Goel, then exploded moments before the medical ship arrived so that at the moment the ship passed through this minefield, each explosion would be at its apex. At that same moment the tactical unit, now coming up behind its target, detonated a torpedo just off the aft expression of the Atul Goel’s warp bubble, closing the box - each torpedo exploding just over 2 kilometers away from the Atul Goel. The cumulative effect was to collapse the warp field, bringing the Atul Goel into relative space and at the same time disabling its warp nacelles.

The tactical unit raced back and forth, passing close to the Atul Goel, transporting first the control unit for the medical ship’s shields, its tractor beam system, the firing system for its impulse engines, its transporter units and the impeller units on the front of the ship’s two nacelles off of the Atul Goel and into nearby space. On a final pass, the tactical unit beamed out the control panels for all 8 of the Atul Goel’s shuttlecraft, rendering these shuttles inoperable. A field of critical ship’s control systems now floated freely in space about 2 kilometers off the Atul Goel’s stern.

The Atul Goel was rendered dead in space, its drive plasma released from its now useless warp nacelles. Stripped of both its warp drive and impulse engines, its transporter units, tractor beam, shields and shuttlecraft, the medical ship was not going anywhere and its crew were trapped onboard.

8.6 (of 20)​

 

[Gibraltar]

Review 8.4/8.5/8.6 - So the sole survivor is himself a suspect. Was he spared by a crewmate, or is this all an elaborate plan by BK #1 to shield himself from suspicion?

I'm curious as to what ship Irons has called in for support, and whether it'll arrive in time to fend off a potential attack on Hunter.

Great work by the crew of the Tactical Unit in safely crippling the Atul Goel without harming the crew held hostage aboard. It's agonizing to see the fate that's befallen that crew, and the horrors they've endured. I suppose the only upshot to this tragedy is that for once, Hunter's on the scene first, not playing forensic catch-up long after the attack (or so it would seem). You've done an excellent job of making the reader care about this crew, despite just having met them.

Awesome work all the way around.

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Review 8.4/8.5/8.6 - So the sole survivor is himself a suspect...

Yeah, he is a dodgy guy. And he's a blue Napoleon in a blue uniform. That can't be good news...

...I'm curious as to what ship Irons has called in for support...

They will need the help...

...You've done an excellent job of making the reader care about this crew, despite just having met them...Awesome work all the way around.

Always gratifying to see readers rooting for my characters... Thanks for the kind words!!

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 8: The Bolian Web
Scene 7: Bloody Watermelon

8.7
Bloody Watermelon​

All of the U.S.S. Atul Goel’s power systems blacked out and the ship went to emergency lighting the moment it was knocked out of warp. The sudden drop to relative space overwhelmed the inertial dampeners, throwing crew about in every compartment of the ship. Crewman Tina Mata was thrown hard against the door to quarantine unit 4. She snapped to life suddenly, reached for the door controls and unlocked the unit, releasing Captain Kelley.

The lights came back on almost immediately and the klaxon sounded, announcing the ship was at red alert.

Kelley squeezed the young crewman’s shoulder, looked into her eyes and said, “Welcome back, Crewman Mata.”

Mata watched in confusion as her captain then strode up to the nearest replicator unit and began rapidly slamming his left fist into the protective cover at the top of the unit, deliberately barking his knuckles against the edge of the unit until they began bleeding profusely. He rubbed his bleeding fist against his right hand, covering the palm and fingers with blood, then slapped his bloody palm down on the replicating platform and said, “Watermelon!!!”

Mata was terribly confused, wondering why her captain was so madly desperate for watermelon. But the replicator did not produce any. Instead, the unit went dark - all control panels went dark - the entire ship went dark and all of the doors and bulkheads slammed shut. The red alert klaxon shut off and was replaced by a single announcement in the ship’s computer voice: “Shipwide quarantine is now in effect. Remain in your current location.” The interior lighting went from normal lighting to black light, causing anything white to glow as if with internal light. The words “Shipwide Quarantine” in iridescent letters glowed on both sides of every door and every emergency bulkhead.

Captain Kelley went to quarantine unit 3, which contained Dr. Klox and 6 other crew members whom Scumuk had been for some reason or other unable to control. The captain placed his bloody palm on the control panel. The panel lit up immediately, enabling Kelley to release his crew.

During all of this time there were two other crew members, both trill, in the medical bay. They were still under Scumuk’s influence, but they had not been told what to do in case their captain got out of quarantine.


So they did nothing.


Kelley ushered the two still entranced trill doctors into quarantine unit 4 and locked them in. He turned to Crewman Mata. “Are you with me?”

“Yes, Captain. I’m free now.”

Kelley turned toward his assistant medical director, now his highest ranking surviving officer other than the director of engineering - a trill who was firmly under Scumuk’s control. “Dr. Klox, we’re re-taking the Atul Goel. What do we need to do that?”

Klox walked over to the medical replicator. “I need this to work. And at least two hours to replicate 60 cubic centimeters of quadropseudoprozadiazomine. Adjusted to 4 different species requirements.”

“Five,” said Crewman Mata.

Dr. Klox looked at her.

“I’m part orion,” she said, very quietly.

Captain Kelley said, “I know. And the last, best hope for this ship, as it turned out.” He placed his bloody palm on the medical replicator, activating it, then turned toward the other 7 crew members in the medical bay. “You will keep Crewman Mata’s secret as tightly as Dr. Varr and I have for the past two months since she came onboard. I don’t want to hear any teasing about the crewman’s sexual prowess or seductiveness. She’s already had a lifetime of that.”

- * -​

Lt. Commander Mlady removed her claw from the base of Lt. Dolphin’s neck where it met his shoulder. Dolphin laid his head forward, exposing the wound to her and said, “Go ahead, just, please, don’t bite me.”

Mlady put her mouth to the wound.

“Dr. Kim,” Dolphin called to the tactical medical hologram. He shuddered as he felt Mlady’s tongue entering the deep hole her claw had left in his neck. It felt weird, but it also soothed the pain.

The tactical medical hologram appeared in the cramped and now crowded tactical bridge. “When Mlady’s finished, would you please patch up the hole in my neck?”

After a few minutes, Mlady leaned back into her chair, which was situated between and immediately behind the pilot and navigation stations. Mlady licked blood off her claw as Dr. Kim used a dermal regenerator to heal the deep wound her claw had left in Kenny Dolphin’s neck. Once the wound was healed, Dr. Kim vanished. Mlady leaned forward and quietly whispered into Dolphin’s ear: “You should increase your protein intake for the next few days.”

During this entire time, Eli Strahl had been leaning forward and staring intently at the navigation console. “No response to our hails,” he reported. “I am reading several life forms, but the ship is dark. All systems appear to be off except for basic life support.”

“Fine,” Mlady responded. “I’m removing their communications array. If they want to talk to us, they can use a communicator. I don’t want them sending any bogus distress signals.”

8.7 (of 20)​

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 8: The Bolian Web
Scene 8: Going Viral

8.8
Going Viral​

“…Once again, I want to thank my guest, T’Linit, of the Vulcan Naturalborn Coalition,” Governor Ivonovic intoned. He turned toward the middle-aged vulcan female sitting across from him in a simple, but elegant and comfortable looking overstuffed brown armchair. Aside from the governor and his guest seated in their armchairs and a small table in between that held two glasses of water, the set was an unrelieved black – floor, ceiling and backdrop.

“T’Linit, thank you again for reminding our listeners that the naturalborn movement is not a humans-only club, but is nearly universal among all the member species in the Federation who are concerned with this generation of genetically modified masters that are being bred for us.”

“As a mother, my concern is for my children and for the future of my people, Governor,” T’Linit responded in an even, smooth voice. “Unless we return to our foundations, there is no future for vulcans. And the future for your people is also unclear. This has been a good and much needed conversation, Governor. Thank you for inviting me to participate in it.”

“Again, this is Colony of New Hope Planetary Governor Emory Ivonovic, bringing you Subspace Radio Ivonovic, The Voice of the Naturalborn, from an undisclosed location. This program is your voice. If you have any requests for guests that might appear on this, your program, please reach out by subspace radio to the Colony of New Hope. Although I am not there, messages sent to New Hope Colony will find me. You will hear my voice again. You will see my face again. The naturalborn will not be silenced.”

- * -​

Dr. Napoleon Boles raced outside with the tricorder from the U.S.S. Hunter. He swept up the new phaser rifle the Hunter’s crew had sent him as he opened the shelter door. With a vigorous under-handed pitch, he sent the tricorder spinning high into the sky, then brought the phaser rifle up, set on full power, aimed and hit the airborne tricorder squarely, disintegrating it entirely. He could only hope he had done this soon enough and that the apparent total disintegration of the tricorder would be sufficient.

He ducked back into his shelter long enough to grab his backpack and canteen. He had a four-hour trek ahead of him. He pulled the communicator off his uniform and deactivated it. He wasn’t certain about the communicator, but he wasn’t taking any chances.


“Dr. Boles just destroyed his tricorder and turned his communicator off.” Ensign Tolon Reeves was working back in the forensic center, where he had worked for two years before being promoted and moved into ground operations. The difference was that in addition to Dr. Sif, whom he had missed a bit, his tactical squad was with him.

“What is he doing now?” Dr. Tali Shae asked.

“He appears to be out for a brisk hike,” Tolon responded.

“Our new Mr. Blue is just one mystery after another, isn’t he?” Tali mused. “Okay, keep an eye on him. I think he was taking readings inside the research station. Let’s hold up on taking any further readings inside the research stations for now, just as a precaution.”

8.8 (of 20)​

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 8: The Bolian Web
Scene 9: Crew of the U.S.S. Atul Goel

8.9
Crew of the U.S.S. Atul Goel​

Lt. Tauk and Commander David Pepper were in the captain’s office. To the right of the captain’s desk, a holographic collage of 50 faces hovered.

“17 bolian crew members. All dead,” Tauk said. 17 blue faces faded out of the collage. “One presumed half-bolian, half-human crew member – on vacation and now stranded on Paleonus V.” Dr. Boles’ face, a far deeper blue than his fellow bolians, faded out of the collage.

Tauk coughed, took a drink and continued, “Captain R. John Kelley, Jr., Assistant Security Director Nancy Strange, Chief Security Specialist Wang Chu, Security Specialist Johnny Dunn – all human; all in quarantine.” Four faces were moved out of the collage to a separate area and were displayed behind bars.

“Assistant Engineering Director Maerk, vulcan, Assistant Medical Director Mettus Klox, Dr. Vesna Klox, Dr. Indaura Strek – all denobulan – also in quarantine.” These faces were also moved behind bars with their human crewmates.

“Notice anything about the remainder?” Tauk asked.


Pep let out a low whistle. “Lots of trills.”


Tauk nodded. “Only three humans left. All the remaining crew members, all 21 of them – trills.”

Justice Minerva Irons asked, “Any joined trills? Any symbionts?”

Tauk shook his head slowly.

Irons took a deep breath, sighed. “Un-joined trills. Extremely susceptible to telepathic control.” She caught Tauk’s grim expression. “That isn’t all, is it?”

“The majority of those trills – and the majority of the bolians – 17 trills and 11 bolians – all were transferred to the Atul Goel during the past year. The 3 humans not in quarantine – raw recruits – fresh out of basic training.”

“The moment that humans are uniquely susceptible to telepathic domination,” Irons concluded.

Pep turned toward the justice. “You may want to consider revising your ruling against Fleet Admiral Scumuk. This sorry mess has been at least a year in the planning, if not longer. How did Captain Kelley not notice his crew was being replaced almost exclusively with trills and bolians?”

Irons made a harrumphing noise, then said, “I’m sure he was aware, David. But he had no reason to think anything ill of it. His executive officer was bolian. Birds of a feather. And trills are exceptionally quick learners – it takes less than a quarter of the time to train a trill in protocol and routine tasks than it takes for pretty much anyone else. They make good teachers for the same reason. Captain Kelley was probably delighted to have such a concentration of them. Especially on a medical ship, where routine and attention to procedure is vital.”

Lt. Tauk cleared his throat, took a drink, and then addressed his captain. “Your honor, why the bolians? I didn’t think they had any enemies.”

“The Bolian Web,” Irons replied. “The Bolian Web is one of the newest member governments within the Federation, but in less than 100 years they have become vital to nearly every sector of Federation society. Bolian freighters carry almost a quarter of Federation commerce. Bolian contributions to medical technology rival the denobulans. And, not insignificantly, bolians occupy and patrol a strategic portion of Federation space between Earth and Vulcan that was once patrolled largely by the Vulcan Space Command. Their homeworld is almost in the exact center of Federation space. A sudden depopulation within the Bolian Web would be a devastating blow to the integrity of the Federation.”

8.9 (of 20)​

 

[Gibraltar]

Shades of the parasite incursion from TNG's first season or Vice Admiral Leyton's strategic reassignments from DS9 in Admiral Scumuk's personnel shuffling here.

Dr. Boles certainly isn't acting like an innocent victim here, and of course, the slimy Ivonovic is exploiting all this to his advantage. I can't wait for that guy to get hit with an asteroid!

You're building a fascinating web here, one that rivals those of either the Bolians or Tholians.

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Shades of the parasite incursion from TNG's first season....Dr. Boles certainly isn't acting like an innocent victim here, and of course, the slimy Ivonovic is exploiting all this to his advantage. I can't wait for that guy to get hit with an asteroid....

Always a warning sign when you have a big personnel turnover... Yeah, Boles is a weird guy - a really weird guy.
One asteroid coming up for Ivonovic - in fact, he's working inside one... That's where his studio is.

Thanks for the kind words! rbs


BTW: The U.S.S. Atul Goel is named after Dr. Atul Goel, a neurosurgeon in Mumbai (whom I found in a random search for doctors in India) who will, hopefully, do something astounding enough before he retires to merit naming Star Fleet Medical's flagship after him. You go Atul... We're all rooting for you!

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 8: The Bolian Web
Scene 10: Carved in Stone

8.10
Carved in Stone​

Dr. Napoleon Boles had arrived at his destination – a river bank at the foot of a large, sheer cliff of exposed granite. He had both phaser rifles with him. Both were now fully charged. With a few short, broad-beam blasts on low power, he frightened the wildlife away, causing a stampede of some of the largest herbivores on the planet. The thunderous cacophony of their panicked, if ponderous exit was enough to frighten away everything else, from the giant smilmonouths to Paleonus V’s pesky version of stinging, dangerously large, furry insects.

The stampede alone would have been sufficient to draw the attention of the U.S.S. Hunter’s crew even if they had not already been watching Dr. Boles’ every move.

Boles set down his backpack, slung one phaser rifle to his back and got to work with the other one – swiftly and confidently using a beam about the width of his thumb to carve a large, pictographic message into the cliff face nearly 200 meters from where he was standing on the other side of the river – in characters easily large enough to be seen from orbit.

He could only hope that his cryptic message would be understood. There just wasn’t enough clear cliff face to spell it out in English.


“What is he writing?” asked Dr. Tali Shae. She had gathered the senior staff and 2nd Lt. T’Lon, along with her investigators in the executive conference room. They were watching a holographic representation of the cliff face as Dr. Boles was carving his message into it with his phaser rifle. He handled the weapon with the swift, sure movements of an artist using a paint brush.

T’Lon picked out the first character. “That is a bolian standard symbol for communication. The third symbol on the top line is the vulcan standard symbol for computer.”

Dr. Sarekson Carrera followed up. “That’s definitely the mathematical notation for ‘does not equal’.”

“Communication does not equal computer?” Commander David Pepper asked.

“Computer again,” said T’Lon.

Tali Shae caught the symbol at the beginning of the second row in the exposed granite. “Star Fleet Medical – symbol for virus.”

Dr. Carrera summarized. “Virus equals computer?”

Investigator Lynhart Shran marveled at Dr. Boles’ artistic ability. “He’s quite talented with that phaser. I can hit anything I see, but I could never draw like that. He’s really good at it.”

“Bolian symbol for communication…” said T’Lon as the third row emerged from the contact between Boles’ phaser beam and the cliff face.

“Inside the Star Fleet Medical standard notation for Quarantine.” Tali Shae continued. “Quarantine communications?”

“He did turn his communicator off,” said Tauk.

“That,” said Investigator Buttans Ngumbo as Boles was completing the fourth row of characters, “That is a really clear picture of his communicator. But what’s the next symbol?”

“Chinese,” said Justice Minerva Irons. “Symbol for understanding. There are several. Dr. Boles has selected a two-symbol group that means specifically to comprehend, see, grasp or follow.”

“Four dots?” asked Tauk as Dr. Boles completed his message with very little clear cliff face to spare.

“Four beeps,” Shran corrected. “He’s saying if we understand this message, we should beep his communicator four times. But I don’t understand the rest of the message.”

“Evidently he’s done,” said Lt. Tauk, suppressing a cough. “He seems to be heading back to his shelter.”

“Okay,” said Dr. Tali Shae. “Let’s take it in the order that he carved it: 1. Communication does not equal computer. 2. Virus equals computer. 3. Quarantine communication. 4. Beep if you understand.”

Lt. T’Lon spoke up. “We need to consider what he did before setting out to send us this message.”

“He vaporized his tricorder and turned off his communicator,” Tali Shae responded.

“The system shows his communicator as active now,” said Dr. Carrera.

“Could he have destroyed his tricorder because he thought it was infected with a computer virus?” asked Tauk. “He might have turned off his communicator because he thought it might be infected as well.”

“Hunter,” called Dr. Carrera.


The elderly appearing ship’s avatar appeared in the conference room.


“Deep virus scan all of your systems. We might have picked up a bug from the Atul Goel’s transmission or since then from our scans of Paleonus V.”

“I am detecting four potentially infected sectors. I am isolating them now.” Hunter replied.

“Infection point of origin?” Carrera asked.

“Transmission from the U.S.S. Atul Goel, transmission from the quarantine buoys, scans of research station 11 from Dr. Boles’ tricorder, scans of the other research stations using the primary sensor array,” Hunter listed.

“Can you counteract?” asked Carrera.

“I already have and I have created physically isolated units that will preserve the virus,” said Hunter. “This virus is slow acting, designed to conceal its presence until the program has successfully deployed. I can’t run a diagnostic on it without running the risk of reinfection. But I can tell you that it is designed to activate either the transporter or the replicator…”

“David, deactivate those buoys!” said Justice Irons. “Sarekson,” she continued as Pep bustled out of the room, “What will it take to jam out the transmission the buoys have sent out so far?”

“They’re just transmitting locally using frequency modulation, so the signal is only moving at the speed of light,” Carrera replied. “We don’t use subspace radio for quarantines – that would create a hazard to navigation. To jam out the entire signal pattern from the buoys, we would have to travel in a globular pattern, working from the outside of the radio transmission bubble and emit a powerful jamming signal in those frequencies. They’ve been transmitting about 6-hours… We would have to build and deposit jamming buoys in each location – each one would have to emit a jamming signal for 6-hours as the transmission passes through its location. I estimate a total time of 227 hours for sufficient coverage. I can speed it up a little by using the interceptors and the wagon to help distribute the buoys.”

“Begin!” said Irons.

Carrera got up and left the room. As he exited, he started gathering resources: “Lieutenant Gamor, Sun and Moon, please meet me in the engineering conference room immediately. Gaia – please bring your entire department…”

Tali Shae looked at Justice Irons. “Should we beep Dr. Boles and let him know we understood his message?”

“Not until we understand all of it,” Irons responded. “I need a complete analysis of the virus that Hunter has isolated. I need to know exactly what those buoys have been transmitting. Lieutenant Tauk - I need you to contact the tactical unit and inform them of the situation. We’re infected - they’re infected. Have them isolate and remove the infected sectors immediately. They also need to prevent the Atul Goel from sending any transmissions. And get both of your teams on Dr. Boles’ message. I want a thorough analysis and recommendations for action in one hour.” Irons got up and left the room.

8.10 (of 20)​