Quite curious here...I wonder if this is a chameloid or other sort of non-Founder shapeshifter?
Stonehouse - Whoever Brings the Night
- Thread starter BrotherBenny
- Start date
What a terrible thing to say! Pava is nothing if not welcoming and concerned for the welfare of others!
He's authorized me to tell you that he's deeply offended. Oh, and also that he's right behind you.
What a terrible thing to say! Pava is nothing if not welcoming and concerned for the welfare of others!
He's authorized me to tell you that he's deeply offended. Oh, and also that he's right behind you.
"Right behin-*gurgle*"
Hey folks, just to let you know that my laptop has just given up the ghost and so my writing schedule has been totally derailed. As soon as I get permanent access to a computer again I'll get back to it.
I now have some access to a computer, so I'll be posting my stories again, just not as regularly as it was before, not until I get mine sorted.
-------------------------
Chapter Four
USS Stonehouse
Entering Lyshan system
Stardate 53428.8
The senior staff had returned to the conference room for one further briefing session before the ship reached Lyshan IV. Captain Morpheus Cole sighed as he walked around the table, hesitant to impart the information he had recently received from Command. Everyone was looking at him with an expectant expression, except Commander da Silva.
‘I have just received word from Command that the Lyshan system is being ceded to the Cardassians, but they have agreed to allow us to rebuild the planet’s infrastructure.’
‘They can barely manage their own world,’ da Silva cut in. ‘How can they look after another?’
‘A Keldon-class warship will be joining us in the next week or so and will patrol the system while we maintain orbit,’ Cole answered.
‘Captain, do the Lyshan Defence Force know that Command have allowed them to be enslaved again?’ Commander Deth asked.
‘Commander, such a view is not helpful in this situation.’
‘Lyshan is, or was, a Federation protectorate. Did they cede anything to us this time?’ Lieutenant Grait asked, snorting in derision. He was clearly making reference to the now-defunct Demilitarised Zone created half a decade before.
‘Lieutenant...’ Cole called out warningly.
‘Captain,’ da Silva said, ‘we all have strong feelings about this kind of behaviour from Command. We’ve seen what happened before, and there was no major war beforehand. With the Federation still rebuilding, we can ill afford another Maquis-style insurgency.’
‘There won’t be one,’ Carter Greyhorse interjected, having stayed silent thus far. ‘The Maquis became operational because they were defending their homes from what they saw as a Federation betrayal and a Cardassian occupation. In this case there is neither. The Lyshani people are still non-aligned and their defence forces could help bolster the Cardassian presence in the region, especially if the Talarians come knocking.’
‘What makes you think they will?’ Grait asked.
‘The Talarians and the Federation were involved in a cold war for more than a decade before it erupted in 2353 following the sabotage of a Federation vessel in Talarian space, which destroyed one of their ships. For the next four years, hundreds of people were killed on both sides until an agreement was reached after the Galen border conflicts. The Galen Treaty has always been a touchy subject with them and I believe that they will attack as soon as they have amassed a large enough fleet.’
‘I take it Command disagrees and doesn’t believe the Talarians to be a threat?’ da Silva asked.
Greyhorse nodded. ‘They consider the Talarians to be too xenophobic to try a concentrated attack though they might, and I stress might, test our defensive strength.’
‘Then we’ll keep a lookout for them and send them back to the Swine Goddess’s Soured Teat,’ Grait replied with relish, stealing a look at Deth, the tactical officer.
Cole held back a sigh. ‘Make continuous scans for any Talarian activity. We should be ready to repel any attack they make.’
‘Aye sir.’
‘Right, down to business,’ Cole changed into tactical mode. ‘Doctor, I want your medical teams distributed to all major population centres to take care of the sick and wounded that Lyshani medicine cannot handle. We’ll get to the outlying areas later. Zh’Meras, coordinate your people with the Corps of Engineers team to get started on the sewage and power generation systems. They are the top priority. Grait, have your security prepare for a sweep of the haunted cave system. I want to know exactly what is going on down there and who is responsible for it. Commander da Silva and I will meet with the Lyshani Premier and inform her of the current operations schedule. Commander Deth, you will coordinate all teams and department heads while we are on the surface and then share the duties with Commander da Silva and myself. If there are no further questions, you’re all dismissed.’
Everyone but da Silva stood up and left.
‘Commander?’
‘Am I to be coordinating everything from up here?’
‘No, once we’ve spoken to the Premier, we’ll set up a base of operations on the surface, in a building that may no longer be used. We’re going to be here for a minimum of six long months; I wouldn’t expect or ask anyone to stay on board the entire time. It’s not healthy.’
‘Aye sir.’
‘One more thing, Commander. I want to use the runabouts and shuttles as frequently as possible, using the transporters as little as possible. Make sure the flight control teams are ready to perform continuous maintenance.’
‘Yes sir.’
‘Captain Cole,’ Lieutenant Tixx called over the comm. ‘We’re approaching Lyshan IV.’
‘Let’s go,’ Cole said to da Silva and they headed for the bridge.
The brown-and-green orb hung in space like a moss-covered marble and Greyhorse sighed. ‘Captain, may I recommend the science team gets to work on reseating the atmosphere?’
Cole tapped his combadge. ‘Mr Powell, I need you on the bridge.’
‘On my way.’
‘Open a channel to the Premier.’
‘Channel open.’
‘Premier Kashir, this is Captain Cole of the Federation starship Stonehouse. We have been sent by the Federation Diplomatic Service and Starfleet Command to assist you in rebuilding your world.’
A woman’s face appeared on the viewscreen, relegating the view of the planet to the small screens at the rear of the bridge. She resembled a Terran cat only as far as the fact was covered in fur and had a long tail whipping about behind her. Her facial features and limbs were fully humanoid, though Cole did see the remnants of pads on the palms of her hands.
‘I am Premier Kashir, and I welcome you to Lyshan, Captain Cole. We have been looking forward to your arrival and would be honoured if you could join us for evening tea,’ she responded in a vaguely Japanese accent.
‘My first officer will come down as soon as we have begun coordinating our teams.’
‘I am gratified that you would get to work straight away, but I’m afraid that you may find the Lyshani people not as friendly as they once were. Recent events have clouded their perception of offworlders.’
‘I understand, Premier. The sooner we’re able to get to work, the sooner your people will live the way they did.’
‘It will not be the same, but it will be better,’ Kashir replied. ‘We will see you in two hours, Captain. Lyshan out.’
-------------------------
Chapter Four
USS Stonehouse
Entering Lyshan system
Stardate 53428.8
The senior staff had returned to the conference room for one further briefing session before the ship reached Lyshan IV. Captain Morpheus Cole sighed as he walked around the table, hesitant to impart the information he had recently received from Command. Everyone was looking at him with an expectant expression, except Commander da Silva.
‘I have just received word from Command that the Lyshan system is being ceded to the Cardassians, but they have agreed to allow us to rebuild the planet’s infrastructure.’
‘They can barely manage their own world,’ da Silva cut in. ‘How can they look after another?’
‘A Keldon-class warship will be joining us in the next week or so and will patrol the system while we maintain orbit,’ Cole answered.
‘Captain, do the Lyshan Defence Force know that Command have allowed them to be enslaved again?’ Commander Deth asked.
‘Commander, such a view is not helpful in this situation.’
‘Lyshan is, or was, a Federation protectorate. Did they cede anything to us this time?’ Lieutenant Grait asked, snorting in derision. He was clearly making reference to the now-defunct Demilitarised Zone created half a decade before.
‘Lieutenant...’ Cole called out warningly.
‘Captain,’ da Silva said, ‘we all have strong feelings about this kind of behaviour from Command. We’ve seen what happened before, and there was no major war beforehand. With the Federation still rebuilding, we can ill afford another Maquis-style insurgency.’
‘There won’t be one,’ Carter Greyhorse interjected, having stayed silent thus far. ‘The Maquis became operational because they were defending their homes from what they saw as a Federation betrayal and a Cardassian occupation. In this case there is neither. The Lyshani people are still non-aligned and their defence forces could help bolster the Cardassian presence in the region, especially if the Talarians come knocking.’
‘What makes you think they will?’ Grait asked.
‘The Talarians and the Federation were involved in a cold war for more than a decade before it erupted in 2353 following the sabotage of a Federation vessel in Talarian space, which destroyed one of their ships. For the next four years, hundreds of people were killed on both sides until an agreement was reached after the Galen border conflicts. The Galen Treaty has always been a touchy subject with them and I believe that they will attack as soon as they have amassed a large enough fleet.’
‘I take it Command disagrees and doesn’t believe the Talarians to be a threat?’ da Silva asked.
Greyhorse nodded. ‘They consider the Talarians to be too xenophobic to try a concentrated attack though they might, and I stress might, test our defensive strength.’
‘Then we’ll keep a lookout for them and send them back to the Swine Goddess’s Soured Teat,’ Grait replied with relish, stealing a look at Deth, the tactical officer.
Cole held back a sigh. ‘Make continuous scans for any Talarian activity. We should be ready to repel any attack they make.’
‘Aye sir.’
‘Right, down to business,’ Cole changed into tactical mode. ‘Doctor, I want your medical teams distributed to all major population centres to take care of the sick and wounded that Lyshani medicine cannot handle. We’ll get to the outlying areas later. Zh’Meras, coordinate your people with the Corps of Engineers team to get started on the sewage and power generation systems. They are the top priority. Grait, have your security prepare for a sweep of the haunted cave system. I want to know exactly what is going on down there and who is responsible for it. Commander da Silva and I will meet with the Lyshani Premier and inform her of the current operations schedule. Commander Deth, you will coordinate all teams and department heads while we are on the surface and then share the duties with Commander da Silva and myself. If there are no further questions, you’re all dismissed.’
Everyone but da Silva stood up and left.
‘Commander?’
‘Am I to be coordinating everything from up here?’
‘No, once we’ve spoken to the Premier, we’ll set up a base of operations on the surface, in a building that may no longer be used. We’re going to be here for a minimum of six long months; I wouldn’t expect or ask anyone to stay on board the entire time. It’s not healthy.’
‘Aye sir.’
‘One more thing, Commander. I want to use the runabouts and shuttles as frequently as possible, using the transporters as little as possible. Make sure the flight control teams are ready to perform continuous maintenance.’
‘Yes sir.’
‘Captain Cole,’ Lieutenant Tixx called over the comm. ‘We’re approaching Lyshan IV.’
‘Let’s go,’ Cole said to da Silva and they headed for the bridge.
The brown-and-green orb hung in space like a moss-covered marble and Greyhorse sighed. ‘Captain, may I recommend the science team gets to work on reseating the atmosphere?’
Cole tapped his combadge. ‘Mr Powell, I need you on the bridge.’
‘On my way.’
‘Open a channel to the Premier.’
‘Channel open.’
‘Premier Kashir, this is Captain Cole of the Federation starship Stonehouse. We have been sent by the Federation Diplomatic Service and Starfleet Command to assist you in rebuilding your world.’
A woman’s face appeared on the viewscreen, relegating the view of the planet to the small screens at the rear of the bridge. She resembled a Terran cat only as far as the fact was covered in fur and had a long tail whipping about behind her. Her facial features and limbs were fully humanoid, though Cole did see the remnants of pads on the palms of her hands.
‘I am Premier Kashir, and I welcome you to Lyshan, Captain Cole. We have been looking forward to your arrival and would be honoured if you could join us for evening tea,’ she responded in a vaguely Japanese accent.
‘My first officer will come down as soon as we have begun coordinating our teams.’
‘I am gratified that you would get to work straight away, but I’m afraid that you may find the Lyshani people not as friendly as they once were. Recent events have clouded their perception of offworlders.’
‘I understand, Premier. The sooner we’re able to get to work, the sooner your people will live the way they did.’
‘It will not be the same, but it will be better,’ Kashir replied. ‘We will see you in two hours, Captain. Lyshan out.’
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Hmmmm...this cession to the Cardassians could go one of two ways--either the Cardassians can prove themselves, show that they've truly changed their ways, or they (or at least those in command of this ship) will get back up to their old tricks. Though Gul Manek's awful circumstances and his attempted warning makes me worry that it's going to be the second option.
But the Stonehouse crew had better be careful not to lump ALL Cardassians together, because they might miss out on potential allies that they might need to get right out from under the nose of this gul...
Though I do wonder about one thing. Between the Stonehouse and this Keldon-class ship, which one is stronger? And what happens if the Talarians come--upon whom is the greatest burden of the defense against them?
But the Stonehouse crew had better be careful not to lump ALL Cardassians together, because they might miss out on potential allies that they might need to get right out from under the nose of this gul...
Though I do wonder about one thing. Between the Stonehouse and this Keldon-class ship, which one is stronger? And what happens if the Talarians come--upon whom is the greatest burden of the defense against them?
Intricate diplomatic issues to dance around and a crew quick to mouth off about policies and past mistakes ... mmm ... this is going to go well. Lots of interesting pieces being set up here and we haven't even got planetside yet. Like pieces of a chess board [3D chess of course!] or maybe more like dominioes - and once one piece goes they'll all go.
This is going to require patience and a lot of tact. These people have been put through hard times. Added to that the Talarian situation and you've got a potential powder keg.
Chapter Five
Government Headquarters
Southern Continent, Lyshan IV
Stardate 53428.9
Captain Cole and Commander da Silva materialised in a public square outside the main headquarters of the Lyshani government where a number of security personnel had gathered. A man came out to greet them and suddenly looked up as the three shuttles assigned to the Stonehouse descended through the cloud cover with a sonic boom and moved off in different directions. The man winced at the sound but recovered quickly, reaching out to shake their hands. Cole smiled as he took the proffered hand and da Silva did the same, though her smile was somewhat forced.
‘Captain Cole, Commander da Silva, I am Rassid, Premier Kashir’s personal aide. If you will please follow me, I will take you to her.’
‘Thank you, Rassid. I am pleased to see that the Dominion did not cause much damage to your capitol buildings.’
‘You are quite mistaken, Captain,’ the aide replied. ‘We have spent our entire global economy on rebuilding as best we can. Once the Premier realised that we would bankrupt ourselves if we continued, she requested your help with the subspace radio left behind in your embassy.’
Da Silva turned to Cole questioningly. ‘We have an embassy on a protectorate world?’
‘Commander, the situation was desperate at the time, but at least we have somewhere to make our base of operations.’
‘I will have Commander Deth send a few of the ship’s engineers to make sure the building is sound and get our equipment inside,’ she replied.
Cole probably would have given her the order to return to the ship just then, as she feared, but they encountered a surprise when they emerged onto the upper floor of the building and saw the friezes on the wall.
‘I don’t remember seeing these when I was here last,’ Cole muttered.
‘When this building was damaged, the sculptors decided to erect a reminder of the strife when they remade the wall.’
Cole and da Silva saw a story depicted of the Dominion landing and the Federation leaving, followed by Jem’Hadar storming through the streets and damaging the city. On the opposite wall, the friezes told the story of the Lyshani resistance defeating the Dominion. It was not entirely accurate, told through this world’s particular cultural beliefs, but it was enough to see that the Dominion had damaged the very psyche of this planet. Rassid ushered them through the gold-inlayed double doors at the end of the corridor.
This was an anteroom, where they would wait until Kashir was ready to receive them. Rassid disappeared through another door, leaving the two Starfleet officers alone with three security guards and a number of city- and landscape paintings.
‘They seem to have done a marvellous job of rebuilding on their own, sir,’ da Silva said.
‘I think you’ll find that much of it is cosmetic, Commander,’ Cole replied. ‘The capital city will have taken the most damage and they would have spent billions of credits to return it to some semblance of what it used to be. I can almost guarantee that if you go ten kilometres from the city, it will be a very different picture.’
‘Premier Kashir will see you now,’ Rassid said, appearing in the doorway to his office.
As the Starfleet officers approached him, he opened the double doors leading to what they assumed was the office of the Premier.
‘Madame Premier, may I introduce Captain Cole and Commander da Silva.’
Premier Kashir used her tail to place a padd back on her desk and came round it to greet the Starfleet officers. ‘Welcome back, Captain. I am gratified to see that you survived the war.’
‘I’m afraid I don’t remember you, Premier,’ Cole said as politely as he could.
‘There is no reason you would; I was a cleric in the monastery when you visited during your diplomatic tenure. We spoke only briefly.’
Cole closed his eyes for a moment. ‘You wore the magenta robes of the Western Order, if I remember correctly.’
Kashir’s eyes widened. ‘My people do not have such good recall.’
‘I’m sure that’s not the case, Premier.’
She smiled. ‘You’re too kind. I’m nearly eighty and I have only thirty years before I will be unable to remember anything but my oldest memories. Come, we have much to discuss.’
The Starfleet officers took seats on a couch while Kashir sat in a high-backed leather armchair.
‘My people tell me that your auxiliary vessels are already at work.’
‘Yes ma’am. I have three teams beginning the process of getting your world back to pre-war levels. There is a medical team treating your wounded in the major cities, an engineering team working on the sewage and power systems, and a security team investigating the cave system.’
Da Silva thought the premier looked impressed with Cole’s diligence but she herself thought it was too little. One ship could not hope to get the infrastructure up to pre-war levels in six months which was how long their mission was supposed to last. Conceivably the Diplomatic Corps’ Special Executive could extend their mission another three months past that, but no ship of the line could be spared indefinitely, especially in this time of rebuilding. She just sat there quietly as Cole and Kashir discussed the long-term operation of the Starfleet personnel. The Premier agreed to spare whatever personnel she could for the embassy from her own diplomatic staff, though Cole preferred to have his own people.
Da Silva left only a part of her mind on their conversation while she mentally reviewed the crew roster and realised that once everyone was involved on the surface, there would only be a skeleton crew on board the ship—a fact that did not bode well if the Cardassians decided to betray them or if the Talarians attacked.
‘Well, I think we’ve taken up enough of your time, Premier,’ Cole said and da Silva pulled herself back into the moment.
‘Thank you, Captain,’ Kashir replied. ‘I may come by to get progress reports occasionally.’
‘One of my senior officers can give you a daily briefing, if you’d like.’
‘That would be fine.’
‘Commander, would you mind?’
‘Not at all, sir,’ da Silva answered, smiling at them both and seething on the inside.
Government Headquarters
Southern Continent, Lyshan IV
Stardate 53428.9
Captain Cole and Commander da Silva materialised in a public square outside the main headquarters of the Lyshani government where a number of security personnel had gathered. A man came out to greet them and suddenly looked up as the three shuttles assigned to the Stonehouse descended through the cloud cover with a sonic boom and moved off in different directions. The man winced at the sound but recovered quickly, reaching out to shake their hands. Cole smiled as he took the proffered hand and da Silva did the same, though her smile was somewhat forced.
‘Captain Cole, Commander da Silva, I am Rassid, Premier Kashir’s personal aide. If you will please follow me, I will take you to her.’
‘Thank you, Rassid. I am pleased to see that the Dominion did not cause much damage to your capitol buildings.’
‘You are quite mistaken, Captain,’ the aide replied. ‘We have spent our entire global economy on rebuilding as best we can. Once the Premier realised that we would bankrupt ourselves if we continued, she requested your help with the subspace radio left behind in your embassy.’
Da Silva turned to Cole questioningly. ‘We have an embassy on a protectorate world?’
‘Commander, the situation was desperate at the time, but at least we have somewhere to make our base of operations.’
‘I will have Commander Deth send a few of the ship’s engineers to make sure the building is sound and get our equipment inside,’ she replied.
Cole probably would have given her the order to return to the ship just then, as she feared, but they encountered a surprise when they emerged onto the upper floor of the building and saw the friezes on the wall.
‘I don’t remember seeing these when I was here last,’ Cole muttered.
‘When this building was damaged, the sculptors decided to erect a reminder of the strife when they remade the wall.’
Cole and da Silva saw a story depicted of the Dominion landing and the Federation leaving, followed by Jem’Hadar storming through the streets and damaging the city. On the opposite wall, the friezes told the story of the Lyshani resistance defeating the Dominion. It was not entirely accurate, told through this world’s particular cultural beliefs, but it was enough to see that the Dominion had damaged the very psyche of this planet. Rassid ushered them through the gold-inlayed double doors at the end of the corridor.
This was an anteroom, where they would wait until Kashir was ready to receive them. Rassid disappeared through another door, leaving the two Starfleet officers alone with three security guards and a number of city- and landscape paintings.
‘They seem to have done a marvellous job of rebuilding on their own, sir,’ da Silva said.
‘I think you’ll find that much of it is cosmetic, Commander,’ Cole replied. ‘The capital city will have taken the most damage and they would have spent billions of credits to return it to some semblance of what it used to be. I can almost guarantee that if you go ten kilometres from the city, it will be a very different picture.’
‘Premier Kashir will see you now,’ Rassid said, appearing in the doorway to his office.
As the Starfleet officers approached him, he opened the double doors leading to what they assumed was the office of the Premier.
‘Madame Premier, may I introduce Captain Cole and Commander da Silva.’
Premier Kashir used her tail to place a padd back on her desk and came round it to greet the Starfleet officers. ‘Welcome back, Captain. I am gratified to see that you survived the war.’
‘I’m afraid I don’t remember you, Premier,’ Cole said as politely as he could.
‘There is no reason you would; I was a cleric in the monastery when you visited during your diplomatic tenure. We spoke only briefly.’
Cole closed his eyes for a moment. ‘You wore the magenta robes of the Western Order, if I remember correctly.’
Kashir’s eyes widened. ‘My people do not have such good recall.’
‘I’m sure that’s not the case, Premier.’
She smiled. ‘You’re too kind. I’m nearly eighty and I have only thirty years before I will be unable to remember anything but my oldest memories. Come, we have much to discuss.’
The Starfleet officers took seats on a couch while Kashir sat in a high-backed leather armchair.
‘My people tell me that your auxiliary vessels are already at work.’
‘Yes ma’am. I have three teams beginning the process of getting your world back to pre-war levels. There is a medical team treating your wounded in the major cities, an engineering team working on the sewage and power systems, and a security team investigating the cave system.’
Da Silva thought the premier looked impressed with Cole’s diligence but she herself thought it was too little. One ship could not hope to get the infrastructure up to pre-war levels in six months which was how long their mission was supposed to last. Conceivably the Diplomatic Corps’ Special Executive could extend their mission another three months past that, but no ship of the line could be spared indefinitely, especially in this time of rebuilding. She just sat there quietly as Cole and Kashir discussed the long-term operation of the Starfleet personnel. The Premier agreed to spare whatever personnel she could for the embassy from her own diplomatic staff, though Cole preferred to have his own people.
Da Silva left only a part of her mind on their conversation while she mentally reviewed the crew roster and realised that once everyone was involved on the surface, there would only be a skeleton crew on board the ship—a fact that did not bode well if the Cardassians decided to betray them or if the Talarians attacked.
‘Well, I think we’ve taken up enough of your time, Premier,’ Cole said and da Silva pulled herself back into the moment.
‘Thank you, Captain,’ Kashir replied. ‘I may come by to get progress reports occasionally.’
‘One of my senior officers can give you a daily briefing, if you’d like.’
‘That would be fine.’
‘Commander, would you mind?’
‘Not at all, sir,’ da Silva answered, smiling at them both and seething on the inside.
da Silva really strikes me as a powderkeg--and I find myself wondering if Cole's going to be able to keep him under control as circumstances unfold. And it seems like he could be just as much trouble if the Cardassians behave themselves, as he could if they don't!!!
And...that detail about the Lyshani people really creeps me out, about the memories. It almost sounds as if what we know as Alzheimer's disease is seen as the normal progression there. Ugh...dementia creeps me out SO bad.
And...that detail about the Lyshani people really creeps me out, about the memories. It almost sounds as if what we know as Alzheimer's disease is seen as the normal progression there. Ugh...dementia creeps me out SO bad.
That sure was a dicey senior staff meeting. Some of these officers have rather prevalent personalities and I wonder if those will become a possible liability later.
That struck me about the Lyshani friezes was the fact that they connect the leaving of the Federation as the beginning of their misery. Could there be lingering resentment?
That struck me about the Lyshani friezes was the fact that they connect the leaving of the Federation as the beginning of their misery. Could there be lingering resentment?
Er...da Silva's a woman.
Yes it is intended to be dementia, but there is a reason for it, which will be explained later...
Rrrrr...that's what I get for how quickly I read.
Oh perturbing. Me wonders where you're taking this.
Chapter Six
Shuttlecraft Winchester
Southern Continent, Lyshan IV
Stardate 53429.0
Lieutenant Kyle Lipman, chief medical officer of the Stonehouse, sat uncomfortably in the co-pilot's chair of the shuttle as the pilot flew toward the main hospital just to the right of the city centre. As they approached the landing pad on the roof, Lipman saw two flyers deposit wounded and then fly off again, presumably to retrieve more wounded from a distant site.
‘We’re all set. How long until we land?’ the deputy chief medical officer, Carmen Angelo, asked.
‘Five minutes,' the pilot replied.
'I want you to deal with the most critical patients first,' Lipman told her. 'Spread throughout the hospital and if necessary call me for authorisation for emergency beam out. You can stay here and the EMH can do the work.'
'Aye sir, what about the radiation cases? The main hospital has a radiation wing where the sickest people from the radioactive parts of the planet are cared for.'
Lipman narrowed his eyes in thought. 'There was no mention of any nuclear disasters or attacks. Where have these patients come from?'
'I don't know sir.'
'All right, get the others to each floor and then I want you to investigate the radiation wing. If the Cardassians and the Dominion didn't do this, then somebody else did, and they won't want us poking our noses around. I'll send a discreet message to the ship to have them start scanning for any radioactive areas of the planet.'
'Aye sir,' Angelo replied and retreated to the rear of the shuttle to give orders to the nurses, technicians and orderlies.
'Are you picking up any radioactive particles with the sensors?' Lipman asked the pilot.
'Not within a hundred kilometres of the capital city. Was there nothing in the briefing?'
'No, but I'm beginning to think that even the Captain didn't get the full information regarding the state of the Lyshani people. Once you've dropped us off, I want you to find any evidence of a radioactive event, whether it be from a power station or a missile.'
'Sir, I was ordered to drop you on the surface and then return to the ship.'
'I'm changing those orders. If you have any trouble with your superiors, then tell them to come to me. Anything medical-related that might endanger this crew falls under my jurisdiction and I want to know if there is any evidence of a local radioactive event. Is that understood?'
'Yes sir,' the pilot replied. 'We're about to land.'
Lipman turned to face the other medical personnel. 'All right, people, get ready. From this point onward until the end of this mission, there will no longer be standard duty shifts. You'll work the length of a standard Lyshani day. The former Federation Embassy will be made safe for our use again and will be used as sleeping quarters and if necessary an emergency shelter.'
At that moment the shuttle landed on the roof of the hospital. The hatch opened and the medical technicians filed out carrying their pouches with a tricorder, hyposprays, and dermal regenerators. The shuttle had the bulkier equipment and two orderlies carried it off before the shuttle ascended into the sky for its survey.
Lipman watched his people enter the hospital through the roof doors and then followed. He had made it down one flight of stairs before a feline figure jumped up to his level and joined him. Though the Lyshani did not wear clothes as such, they did wear bands of coloured cloth which hid their genitalia and also denoted rank and status. The Lyshani standing before him was a female doctor, and quite senior.
'I am Doctor Kyle Lipman, chief medical officer of the Stonehouse.'
'I am Derev, chief of medicine here at Central Medical. Please let me know if there is anything I or any of my doctors can do to help you.'
'I would like to study your anatomical texts if that is acceptable. It will enable me, us, to better treat your people and learn more about you.'
'As long as you do not butcher us like the Grey Devils you are welcome to learn all about us,' Derev replied.
'If you don't mind my asking, what did they do to you?'
'They hunted our Warriors in the jungles and their leader experimented on us, trying to adapt our genetics to their Grey Devils.'
'I know a little bit about their genetic work. What is so special about your genome that the Vorta wanted for the Jem'Hadar?'
Derev raised a furry eyebrow. 'My people have an adaptive genome. You will find that although we are all Lyshani, there are more than two hundred distinctive phenotypes. Our world is very harsh and we have adapted to live in different environments. Those that live in the jungles have prehensile tails and there are even sea-breathers with gills.'
'None of this was in our briefing.'
'The Vorta tried to engineer the Grey Devils' genetic template to take our adaptive genome. It didn't work. Their own DNA reasserted itself.'
Lipman now knew why the Dominion had taken the planet. Not only to train their new Alpha Jem'Hadar, but also because the Lyshani were naturally genetically engineered. He would of course have to put all this in his official log entry, and knew that once Captain Cole listened to or read it, he would be summoned for a debriefing and likely told not to speak of it to anyone. It was a delaying tactic, and he would argue for full disclosure on everything Starfleet knew about these people, and the Dominion's interest in them.
'Thank you for this information, Doctor. Could you give me a tour of the hospital? I would also like to know what kind of illnesses and injuries your people are suffering from.'
'I would be only too glad to assist, but I have been asked by the Chirurgeon General to be extremely careful with where your people go. They are all being monitored and I will be alerted if they attempt to enter any secured areas.'
'We're here to treat all your sick and injured, Doctor, not some of them.'
'Then we're going to have a problem,' the chief of medicine replied with a heavy sigh.
Shuttlecraft Winchester
Southern Continent, Lyshan IV
Stardate 53429.0
Lieutenant Kyle Lipman, chief medical officer of the Stonehouse, sat uncomfortably in the co-pilot's chair of the shuttle as the pilot flew toward the main hospital just to the right of the city centre. As they approached the landing pad on the roof, Lipman saw two flyers deposit wounded and then fly off again, presumably to retrieve more wounded from a distant site.
‘We’re all set. How long until we land?’ the deputy chief medical officer, Carmen Angelo, asked.
‘Five minutes,' the pilot replied.
'I want you to deal with the most critical patients first,' Lipman told her. 'Spread throughout the hospital and if necessary call me for authorisation for emergency beam out. You can stay here and the EMH can do the work.'
'Aye sir, what about the radiation cases? The main hospital has a radiation wing where the sickest people from the radioactive parts of the planet are cared for.'
Lipman narrowed his eyes in thought. 'There was no mention of any nuclear disasters or attacks. Where have these patients come from?'
'I don't know sir.'
'All right, get the others to each floor and then I want you to investigate the radiation wing. If the Cardassians and the Dominion didn't do this, then somebody else did, and they won't want us poking our noses around. I'll send a discreet message to the ship to have them start scanning for any radioactive areas of the planet.'
'Aye sir,' Angelo replied and retreated to the rear of the shuttle to give orders to the nurses, technicians and orderlies.
'Are you picking up any radioactive particles with the sensors?' Lipman asked the pilot.
'Not within a hundred kilometres of the capital city. Was there nothing in the briefing?'
'No, but I'm beginning to think that even the Captain didn't get the full information regarding the state of the Lyshani people. Once you've dropped us off, I want you to find any evidence of a radioactive event, whether it be from a power station or a missile.'
'Sir, I was ordered to drop you on the surface and then return to the ship.'
'I'm changing those orders. If you have any trouble with your superiors, then tell them to come to me. Anything medical-related that might endanger this crew falls under my jurisdiction and I want to know if there is any evidence of a local radioactive event. Is that understood?'
'Yes sir,' the pilot replied. 'We're about to land.'
Lipman turned to face the other medical personnel. 'All right, people, get ready. From this point onward until the end of this mission, there will no longer be standard duty shifts. You'll work the length of a standard Lyshani day. The former Federation Embassy will be made safe for our use again and will be used as sleeping quarters and if necessary an emergency shelter.'
At that moment the shuttle landed on the roof of the hospital. The hatch opened and the medical technicians filed out carrying their pouches with a tricorder, hyposprays, and dermal regenerators. The shuttle had the bulkier equipment and two orderlies carried it off before the shuttle ascended into the sky for its survey.
Lipman watched his people enter the hospital through the roof doors and then followed. He had made it down one flight of stairs before a feline figure jumped up to his level and joined him. Though the Lyshani did not wear clothes as such, they did wear bands of coloured cloth which hid their genitalia and also denoted rank and status. The Lyshani standing before him was a female doctor, and quite senior.
'I am Doctor Kyle Lipman, chief medical officer of the Stonehouse.'
'I am Derev, chief of medicine here at Central Medical. Please let me know if there is anything I or any of my doctors can do to help you.'
'I would like to study your anatomical texts if that is acceptable. It will enable me, us, to better treat your people and learn more about you.'
'As long as you do not butcher us like the Grey Devils you are welcome to learn all about us,' Derev replied.
'If you don't mind my asking, what did they do to you?'
'They hunted our Warriors in the jungles and their leader experimented on us, trying to adapt our genetics to their Grey Devils.'
'I know a little bit about their genetic work. What is so special about your genome that the Vorta wanted for the Jem'Hadar?'
Derev raised a furry eyebrow. 'My people have an adaptive genome. You will find that although we are all Lyshani, there are more than two hundred distinctive phenotypes. Our world is very harsh and we have adapted to live in different environments. Those that live in the jungles have prehensile tails and there are even sea-breathers with gills.'
'None of this was in our briefing.'
'The Vorta tried to engineer the Grey Devils' genetic template to take our adaptive genome. It didn't work. Their own DNA reasserted itself.'
Lipman now knew why the Dominion had taken the planet. Not only to train their new Alpha Jem'Hadar, but also because the Lyshani were naturally genetically engineered. He would of course have to put all this in his official log entry, and knew that once Captain Cole listened to or read it, he would be summoned for a debriefing and likely told not to speak of it to anyone. It was a delaying tactic, and he would argue for full disclosure on everything Starfleet knew about these people, and the Dominion's interest in them.
'Thank you for this information, Doctor. Could you give me a tour of the hospital? I would also like to know what kind of illnesses and injuries your people are suffering from.'
'I would be only too glad to assist, but I have been asked by the Chirurgeon General to be extremely careful with where your people go. They are all being monitored and I will be alerted if they attempt to enter any secured areas.'
'We're here to treat all your sick and injured, Doctor, not some of them.'
'Then we're going to have a problem,' the chief of medicine replied with a heavy sigh.
It is truly amazing how many questions have been prompted by this segment alone.
Also think the Lyshan may possibly bear the Federation a grudge for abandoning them to the Dominion.
Cool mysteries I want to read more.
- radiation - the cause and the who?
- genetics - Vorta experimentations?
- secured areas - why and who is being hidden?
- lack of information - why is Starfleet either so ignorant about the facts on the ground about this planet or being so dangerously secretive?
Thinking the genetic experiments might in part explain the mystery of whoever is in the caves.
Cool mysteries I want to read more.
Add to that...I'd like to know why the Lyshan memory degrades so much with age when their genome seems so adaptable to everything else.
Good work, though--definitely enjoying it!
Good work, though--definitely enjoying it!
