Star Trek: Starbase 777

It was a quiet day in the labs— at least, it was until Serro tripped her way in, stumbling headfirst and catching herself on a console. Thankfully, no buttons were pressed! "Must be upside down today," she mumbled to herself. "The beetles'll be pleased about that. They like the upside down, the yellow ones, maybe even spinning around..." ...what?

2

It had been a slow workday for Evoras so far, she even was caught up on replying to messages. That was not to say that it had not been interesting one. She had recently gotten involved in a short term project to span the time until she picked up a more substantial one again and she was using skills she had not made direct use of in almost two decades. It was interesting to say the least. At the moment she'd just finished a test run at one machines, that was meant to ensure both that the machine was calibrated the way she needed it to be and her skills. She blinked perplexed when Serro entered and raised an eyebrow at the Lieutenant. "What exactly is your objective?"

Serro hummed, raising her head to flash the Commander a lazy grin. "To spread joy and whimsy, sir, and maybe a little bit of...blue. There's a lot of blue." She trailed off, looking around before staring dead at Evoras, her expression dead serious. "Do you know why the stars blink? I do. I do, I've seen it," she giggled.

2

It wasn’t too often that Teno had to go into the labs to run tests. He was more likely to be tending to the flora in the Environmental Ring but it seemed a few of the plants might be fighting off a fungal infection or some such small issue. Teno had taken cutting samples from some of the culprits and made his way to the science labs to use the microscopes and testing equipment. He’d not really been here yet in his time on 777 and was excited to meet folks who worked in the labs and also help nurture the little plant friends back to health. He walked into the lab quietly, looking around and seeing a pair of people chatting. He waved with an elbow, arms full of plant samples, and made his way to a table to set everything down before he dropped it all.

What? "There are multiple scientific explanations for why stars may appear to blink..." How exactly did spreading joy and whimsy have anything to do with 'blinking' stars? She absentmindedly nodded towards Teno in greeting before turning back to Serro. "Are you in a sound mental state?"

"Sound? No, sir, I can hardly hear a thing up here. I can't hear my own thoughts, never could," she answered. "Maybe a little bit of ringing... Yeah, my ears, are ringing..."

“Your ears are ringing?” Teno’s ears were not ringing. He looked to Evoras for a moment before back at Lt. Serro. “Hey maybe you should like, sit down or go to med bay? You sound…” He trailed off, dropping his stuff on the table with some scattered thumps and then walking over to the Lieutenant.

Saren, who was busy suffering through the calculation of skull measurements in the corner of the lab, just stared at the situation unfolding with a slightly puzzled expression. Stars blinking? Ringing? Were they okay?..

"I agree with the Lieutenant, if your ears are ringing you might want to go to medical." Evoras' face was stuck in an expression somewhere between a raised eyebrow and a slight frown.

Serro stumbled again, this time using Teno for support to stabilize herself. "The stars, they'll burn at midnight," she said, so, so softly, digging her fingers a little too tightly into his arm. "All of them, one by one..."

6

Teno grabbed onto her carefully, trying to steady her. It happened so fast he just kind of did what he could and suddenly there was a bit of pain in his left arm. He winced but mostly ignored it, trying to focus on the task at hand. “Oh prophets you’re not — ow! Okay we should probably like..” He gazed back at the Commander pleadingly. He wasn’t really sure what to do except get this Lieutenant to sick bay. “Yeah I think it’s time to go to Medical.”

"No! No—" Serro shook her head, backing off and towards the door. "Can't. Can't go, there's something in the lift. Vermin in the walls. Can't you hear them?" Her one good eye darted back and forth, suddenly wide. "They'll get me."

Teno, strong but decidedly not a security officer, did not keep a hold of the Lieutenant and watched as she scrambled away. What was she saying? This was all so confusing. Well. Okay so she needed medical attention. That was the most pressing issue at hand right now.

Evoras raised her eyebrow even further, if that was possible, and glanced over towards Saren, before turning to look at Serro again. "You should definitely go to med bay"

1

"Vermin in the walls? It's not about the tribbles again, isn't it?" he tried to joke. He failed. He then nodded to Teno and Evoras: "They don't seem to be in the sound mind to be making such decisions, so I agree with the medbay idea."

1

Paco did not blow up the turbolift.... not yet anyways. That thought was plooped aside as he stepped out of the turbolift. Originally, Paco was here in the science lab to begin his usual workday and get some reports done, cool fun Anthropology stuff because culture is lit as hell. But when the doors opened, Paco was immediately met with the scene already unfolding and the sentence 'there's something in the lift. Vermin in the walls. Can't you hear them??', which straight away set off several alarm sirens in his head as he literally just got here. "There's WHAT in the lift?????" Paco asked as the doors fully opened before he jumped out of there and held his PADD up like a bible.

3

Hearing someone ask that, Saren turned around: "Vermin," he replied helpfully, and only when he turned away did his brain catch up on what was happening. He whipped his head around again, "Wait no-- Paco, there are no vermin in the walls... I think? It's-- agh, nevermind. Our colleague might be sick."

It had only been a few minutes but Teno was starting to feel kind of chilly. Was the lab always this cold? And his arm was pulsing where he’d been grabbed. He cradled his left arm in his right hand and peered around the room at everyone, his thoughts starting to race as it felt like the room was spinning some. “Uhh, hm. What..” He looked at Saren, who he thought he might recognize, and smiled. “What tree… will never know joy?” He asked, his light skin looking a bit more flushed than it had when he came into the lab earlier. (edited)

She was just about to ask whether someone would take Serro to the medbay when Teno spoke up again. Tree? Joy? She had slept enough in the last few days, that couldn't be the reason why these people weren't making sense. "What tree..?" Looking around the room she reassured herself that she wasn't the only one who couldn't make sense of this.

His gaze flitted to the side to land on Teno, the Romulan's eyebrows jumping up in surprise, mouth just slightly agape. What the?.. "........The firful one?" Gods, what a stupid pun.

4

3

Teno cackled, his facial expressions changing from confused to completely amused. “That’s not the answer I had in mind,” he said through strained fits of laughter. “But it does work! No, my answer is - the weeping willow!” He doubled over, laughing so hard his headache started to pound even harder in his skull. “Prophets…help me! Ha ha ha!”

The "help me" part made him freeze up, hair on the back of his neck raising up. Slowly, his left hand reached for the delta secured to his uniform's chest, "Lieutenant, please describe how are you feeling?.."

4

"How am..." Teno suddenly stopped laughing and stood to his full height, looking at Saren with a blank gaze, no recognition in his eyes any more. "The Prophets are in the Celestial Temple." He said matter of factly, gesturing at the ceiling with his left arm. His uniform pulled back a little bit as he reached up, and his arm was flushed and a bit swollen. "Maybe one day I can be with the Emissary." And he started cackling again, staring through Saren.

Seeing Teno stand up, Saren chose to mirror him - instinct telling him that he should move the hell away from him if the Lieutenant chooses to approach. "Do tell me more about it," he encouraged, seeing as the rambling kept Teno busy, and then proceeded to call the medbay, his gaze never leaving the unnerving scene before him. Woe, medical officers be upon ya.

2

Quite honestly Evoras was conflicted between wanting to back away from the strange acting people and trying to make sure they were alright. She was also looking around at the other people, concerned that they might also start saying things she couldn't make sense of, only for he comms to start being confusing. "Perhaps we should move away from the machinery..."

Teno walked further into the Science lab, not looking at machinery or anything like that. He was walking toward two remaining people in the lab, but also staring through them as if they weren't there. "In the arms of the prophets, fly away from here, from this dark cold room, and the endlessness that you fear, you are pulled from the wreckage, of your silent reverie, you're in the arms of the prophets..."

He cursed quietly, hearing two very familiar voices on the channel being cryptic (which would suggest.. no, he didn't want to think about that), and also watching Teno's slow yet sure approach. "Now I wouldn't be walking closer like that," he warned. "You're-- walking away from the light you're talking about. Stay where you are, yes?" He glanced at Evoras then, "Sir, as for us, I think we should move around said light and move just as quickly as it travels."

"I don't believe in our current state we're capable of..." She did a double take at Teno coming closer and backed off, before giving Saren a nod. "You're right, we should leave this room..." Gesturing towards the door she waited for Saren to move. She definitely wouldn't walk out of this room before she made sure he did.

Teno was moving slowly, though at this point his arms were outstretched, like he wanted to hug someone. “The embrace of the Prophets is like no other.”

"Nooooope, thank you, maybe later, goodbye," he beelined towards the doors in a sidewalking sort of way, just to keep his eyes both on the zombie-like Lieutenant, and Evoras - feeling the same way about her escape. He wasn't going to leave his Chief behind.

3

"Actually not ever." She followed Saren doing her best to keep desks between herself and Teno at all times.

Teno was left all alone in the Science Labs as the two science officers exited swiftly. After they were gone he ambled toward the exit and made his way through the corridors to somewhere else on the Starbase. Who knew where he would end up? “I am of Bajor…”

All at once, the lights flickered and died as the temperature began to rise.

"Fuck," he breathed out, outside of the labs. "Sir, we need a plan. But, getting to medical seems too dangerous."

"We should find a room that does not have anyone trying to hug people in it and see if we can run some scans... It is hot in here." Evoras started walking down the hallway towards another room, trying to find one that would satisfy those requirements.

The temperature gradually lowered back to normal levels, and the lights flickered and revived. For Now.

"Yeah, that sounds good," he nodded, shoulders sagging with relief as the systems seemed to return back to normal. For now, at least. "Keeping in touch with our medical officers could also help out with this... mysterious affliction."

Lights off, temperature rising once again.

After a very long time being frozen out of trying to understand what the fuck is happening and where the fuck is everybody is going. Very much still confused and overwhelmed from it all, Paco simply just very quietly followed wherever Evoras was going. "if its spread through touch, the cure probably could be sprayed on everyone via fire supression... like sanitizer probably..." Paco didn't know any other way to be useful beyond that.

Evoras had just found a lab that she's judged as acceptable when the lights turned back off. "This looks... looked alright. Please let me know vocally once you've entered the room so I can close the door."

"Gods, I hope this ends soon," he muttered, following into the room. "Okay, I am inside of the room. Paco?"

"Hallo. Paco is here inside the room." Paco said softly as he entered the room "Paco does not like today."

Lights back on? Lights back on. And temperature normal.

Evoras was in the process of locking the door, best she could when the lights turned back on yet again. It was like a child had gotten hold of the station's light switch. "This should keep people out for a while at least. Are you two feeling the same as you were before this started?"

"Confused and overwhelmed? Yes. Paco still feels like Paco at the moment. I should be fine." Paco answered as he approached one of the consoles "I'll try to see if we could do a scan around the station to see if something's out of the ordinary.... not sure if engineering, well Maya I feel, did anything to damage internal scanners though..." Paco said as he moved to the consoles and attempted to do the do

"My health is adequate, just worried for our officers," he responded, walking closer to consoles but stopping dead in his tracks upon hearing a familiar voice though the comms. Oh, no... He shook his head and moved to work with determination in his steps. People need help. Station needs help. His duty is to provide that help.

3

"..." there was no further reaction from Lt. JG. Paco Umali other than grabbing a particularily heavy book. He wasn't sure what to do with it, but he will use it.

1

"While Paco's scans are running, I will call Medical to see if they found anything," he informed, and did just that.

3

Que the scene cutting back to the science lab, with Saren lowering his palm and sighing: "Okay, so there are parasites involved in this... great. Medical needs our assistance, but we need to be there physically to do it. So we will have to be swift."

Teno was ambling about the halls in the Science Labs fairly aimlessly. "The Prophets teach us patience..."

8

"Right, I will open the door, you will run to the turbolifts and not get hugged. Understood?" Evoras picked up the first best heavy object she could easily hold in her hand and throw if necessary, before turning to unlock the door again.

"Paco, you go first - if anything happens, I will cover you," he said - or rather, promised, standing alert and ready to bolt after him.

1

"Keep your Pagh strong, my friend....." Paco said quietly to himself as he saw Teno out from the probably door window. When Evoras spoke about the plan to get to the Medical Bay. " Wait, Why do I have to go first-- actually, nevermind! The Prophets decide my faith now." Paco said as he stood by the door to go out first. Heavy ass book in hand to thundercunt at someone going to nonconsensually hug him.

"I will cover you." Evoras narrowed her eyes at Saren. "You do not not get to be self-sacrificing today, my apologies Lieutenant. Now!" The door opened.

3

"And here we going!" Paco just straight up bolted straight to the tubolifts, If Usain Bolt were here... he would probably still win because he's Usain Bolt, but Paco wouldn't be too far behind though.

2

"When the prophets close one door, they open another!" He said, almost shouting, as one of the Science Lab doors opened and the three Science Officers from before bolted into the hallway.

They weren't going, they were fucking bolting, zipping past the poor Bajoran like blue lightning, "Sorry, Lieutenant, we need to go."

Evoras followed to other two.

Once the cure had been properly distributed, Ekhesai had been terribly embarrassed — immediately scampering off to get her uniform in check, for one, and then profusely apologizing to just about everyone in Medical bay, before tagging along with the scientists to help hopefully destroy these motherfuckers. Medical bay had become flooded with civilians, so the box was safely transported..here, within a containment field. "Right, so what were the options for this thing again?"

Hours passed - he could feel it in the subtle heaviness of his bones as he sat hunched over a microscope, watching the parasitic eggs react to the various trial concoctions they've managed to make. After making sure that the officers locked in the brig all got their dosage of the cure, and feeling some of the concern seep away upon seeing clarity return to their eyes, he got busy researching. "Dissolving the eggs, burning the scripts," he replied, briefly looking up at the cadet, "or both. Could do both just to be safe."

The cadet peered curiously over his shoulder, though unable to see anything, obviously. "Oh, okay. Whatever keeps them from inside me," she said, wiggling her fingers a little.

"It was probably not the best first impression of the cosmic shenanigans that fall upon space explorers, but it wasn't the worst one," he replied with a slight smile. "You're feeling okay now, right?.."

"Yeah! Yeah, I'm okay. I got some juice on my way here, and am thoroughly hydrated." Ekhesai flashed a biiiig grin. "How are we gonna dissolve the things?"

"I would say that at least it was not a bomb, but claiming that I would have preferred this over my own introduction to this starbase would be dishonest." Evoras handed a PADD with readings that she didn't entirely understood to Saren.

2

Teno entered the labs quietly, an embarrassed blush on his cheeks, and a sheepish facial expression on his features. He was wearing a fresh and clean uniform and his rash and swelling in his arm had dissipated. He offered a self conscious smile and took a seat at a table where everyone had congregated, and pulled out his PADD. He was a botanist, so he did understand biology on a basic level. Plus, he had to know about parasites that infect plants, so at least some of his knowledge could transfer to the current issue. He figured he’d be able to help reason through things and offer support to Saren who was, if he remembered correctly, a biologist that dealt more with animals? He had been quite drunk at Allan and Dion’s party though.. Regardless! He was there and embarrassed and ready to help. “Uh, sorry about yesterday.” He chuckled and ran a hand through his short wavy hair. “I’m glad you were all able to um… sidestep and avoid being infected. Also I will do my best to help today rather than be a hindrance.”

"There is no need to apologise, Lieutenant. It's not like you were trying to hug us without permission on purpose." She raised an eyebrow at Teno and had to stop herself from offering him tea. Against all reason tea did not fix everyone's mood and they were also in a lab. "If anything the person being a hindrance here is me, I'm certain your input will keep the other's sane while I ask trivial questions."

1

"Hallo Teno!" Paco said with a bright grin as he ran to him, doing the fun Bajoran thing of pinching him in the ears. "Thank the prophets your pagh is strong and you recovered well!" Paco happily said with a smile "We're trying to find ways to killing the parasites and their eggs so they won't spread to other people later on!"

"Mine was a ship crash," he shrugged like it was a normal and sane sentence to say in a casual conversation, reaching his hand out to take the PADD from Evoras. Hearing another voice, his attention turned towards the newcomer, relief evident in the tone of his voice: "Oh, you're alright. Good. Welcome back, Lieutenant." If any of the scientist would've gotten hurt because of this, he would be adding 20% more acid to his solutions. He then lowered his gaze to the PADD, curious to go through the readings. "Give yourself some credit, Chief. You being here helps in more ways than you can imagine - and that goes to everyone in this room, really."

"A ship crash!?" Ekhesai's eyes widened, but she didn't press on the subject. Teno got a friendly wave, though! There were important science things to be done.

The eggs were successfully delivered to their horrific, acidic death. Hooray.

3

"Indeed, I believe I was present for that ship crash as well. No worries Cadet, for better or for worse your brain does get somewhat used to these emergency situations." Evoras had tilted her head and was leaning against one of the desks and watched as the eggs were annihilated. "Any and all possibilities of me not being present here are unacceptable, Lieutenant."

"The eggs amd worms now will have an acid trip to where the Pagh Wraiths live...." Paco said plainly to himself "Probably not the best acid trip in the century, maybe, probably."

2

"Ha ha, take that, you mind-controlling cuntworms," he muttered under his breath. Then he lifted his head, addressing the people around him: "Yes, I found the solution that dissolves them. Took some time, but here we are. Be very careful, though - it's' equally dangerous to our skin."

2

6

4

"I should make that my chatroom username," Ekhesai offered helpfully. Thanks, Sai.

Teno nodded at everyone who assured him it was truly ok and that he couldn't help being sick the day before. And he listened and watched as Saren eradicated the eggs, ears perking up at 'cuntworms'. When the Cadet spoke he cackled, staring at her scandalized and yelped, "Cuntworm?!" And then covered his mouth with both hands, because he rarely swore, and especially not in the presence of his direct superiors.

3

She dissolved into a fit of cackles as Teno clutched his metaphorical pearls. Okay, now she HAD to do it. Maybe for April fools...

Evoras raised her eyebrow, didn't not comment on the 'cuntworms' and was doing her very best to stop herself from shaking her head in exasperation. "Well done."

Refraining from the urge to ask how far up her eyebrow could possibly go, Ekhesai nodded enthusiastically. "Can we burn the scripts now?"

"Cuntworms," he repeated in a confirming tone like a maths teacher agreeing with a student's answer, then looking up at Teno. Blinking. "Ah. Sorry, I don't have the most elegant tongue. As for the scripts... let's check in and make sure that no more were found first? It's probably easier to get rid of them all in one swoop?"

"Aw... okay." Ekhesai wanted to burn something, but fine. Not that she'd be allowed to, anyway.

"No, sorry, I didn't mean -" Teno stammered, looking back and forth between all of the scientists and the Cadet. "Sorry, okay, concentrating on the task at hand..." He shook his head, pushing the social anxiety away. He certainly didn't mean to be judgmental, he was just surprised the young Cadet would want to be called a 'cuntworm' on a public chat. But that was neither here nor there at this point. Sorry Saren! He chuckled and turned his attention to the scripts. "Yes, I agree. Sometimes when there is an infestation in plant matter, it's easier to do a controlled burn to get rid of the problem and make way for new growth. So, yeah I think containing them all to one area and incinerating them all at once would probably be best for...well, killing all of the worms at one time without spreading any, again yeah?"

1

"Cuntworms? Really Lieutenant, must you give ideas to the children?" She looked very pointedly at Saren. "What am I saying, you are the children..."

1

"I am not a child!" Ekhesai protested. "I'm nineteen. Sir. Respectfully. Politely. I'm an adult."

"Thank you for reminding me of your legal status as an adult, Cadet. I was however merely attempting to joke with my colleges." Evoras now raised her eyebrow at Ekhesai, face entirely straight except for the smallest twitch in the right corner of her mouth.

1

He shook his head, smiling slightly, "No worries. Besides, I was stating a fact. I hope you're not fluent in Rihannsu, because..." He decided to tactically trail off. He just hoped to put Teno at ease. Evoras playing along certainly helped, though. "Excuse me for a moment," boop goes the delta pip.

Ekhesai immediately shrank down, green all the way to her ears. "Sorry, I was... um, nevermind.."

2

"I - well, okay yeah thank you," he said with a chuckle, definitely put at ease. He almost missed Evoras' joke, but the tiny almost-smile clued him in. He'd have to have more shifts with her to learn her type of humor, but if this was any indication he would find her quite amusing. "I am not fluent in Rihannsu... only Bajoran and Federation Standard but, I'd love to learn." He offered, though, hopefully Saren wouldn't teach him the swears first. He wanted to learn plant names, if he was asked. Teno looked over at Ekhesai and offered a big smile. They could both be embarrassed together. He remembered being an awkward and sometimes indignant cadet, mostly fondly. "Hey, you're good." He said softly, offering her a thumbs up.

Still waiting for any answer, he took a glance at the half-Trill, "Hey, you're good. We'll get to the fun part soon, yes?"