We Are One....

Posted on Sun Sep 16th, 2012 @ 8:42am by Commander Alexandra Vance & Senior Chief Petty Officer Helga (Hel) Lowe

844 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: The Enemy Within: Lying in Wait
Location: Corridors Outside Sickbay

Vance departed sickbay after having been given a medical scan by the vessel's Chief of Medicine. From the facial expressions and body language displayed by the doctor she had not found anything to cause suspicion as was expected. The technology had been perfected over the years of isolation.

Enough time had been used on inefficient matters; productivity would have to be hastened.

A female human of exceptional physical stature was walking towards Vance in the corridor. Vance calculated the work required to complete her mission was greater than her abilities. Additional resources would be required.

"Senior Chief, you will accompany me at once." she stated.

Helga turned to the Commander. "I thought the doctor said you were okay to leave. What can I help you with, Commander?"

"The doctor has cleared me for duty, I require you to accompany me at once." she stated again.

Helga looked around sickbay. "I will need to find someone to relieve me. Give me a minute."

"That will be sufficient." Vance replied.

Helga turned and looked at Vance. "Do you feel well? You sound a little stilted." She found another nurse and handed off her PADD. "No matter. I will come with you to make sure you are fine."

"Your superior has cleared me for duty, any further examinations would be irrelevant. This way." Vance said pointing down the corridor.

"Okay." She turned to the receptionist. "Tell Doctor Bowen I'll be back later. The Commander needs my help."

Vance led the nurse out of sickbay and walked down the corridor. "We must enter the fourth door to the right."

"That's a medical supply room," Helga offered. She wasn't sure the new Commander knew her way around the ship. Especially if she wanted to go into supply rooms. "Wouldn't you rather go to the fifth door? That's a lab. I don't think it's being used right now."

"I require supplies from the Medical room, a medical laboratory serves no purpose to my skill set." Vance replied wasting no breath on her responses to the questions.

"Your skill set?" Helga asked. This was all sounding most confusing, but she wasn't going to argue with a Commander. She opened the door and walked inside. "What supplies do you ne...?" She never got a chance to finish her question. Something small flew off a shelf and landed on her face. Helga tried to take a deep breath so she could scream, but the creature stuck something down her throat. She grabbed it and pulled at it to get it off her face while she tried desperately to catch her breath. What was this thing, and why wasn't the Commander helping her?

She felt lightheaded, dizzy, odd. The thing went limp and she was finally able to dislodge it and take a deep breath. "What on...” She blinked and looked at Vance. "What do you require of me?"

"Your function is to proceed to your living quarters and begin replication of the Xenomorphs."

"I will comply," Helga replied calmly. "I'll take the first of the Xenomorphs to sickbay." She picked up the lifeless form of the one that infected her and slipped it into the reclamator so there would be no evidence of its existence.

"You must not be discovered. Any witnesses must be assimilated or eliminated." Vance warned.

"I must complete my primary function. I must tend to the sick. My secondary function is to infiltrate and assimilate. But if I fail to perform my duty, then I will bring attention to myself and to the Xenomorphs." Helga knew what Vance wanted of her, but her core training was to heal, not harm. Even with the Borg nanites she was having trouble balancing the two.

"The pellet with the poison's in the vessel with the pestle."

"Your logic is correct, but your efficiency is insufficient. Infiltration can be accomplished through your primary function. Your primary function is to serve us, you will comply."

"But if I'm replicating Xenomorphs, I can't be taking care of patients in sickbay. And if I miss my shift or shirk my duties, then the doctors will think something is wrong. Would that not jeopardize our purpose? I believe using nanites is more efficient in my situation. I can use them with tea," Helga countered.

Vance took time to calculate the probability of success with the new delivery technique. "Your method is sufficient, the beverage must not exceed 47 degree Fahrenheit."

"Then it will be iced tea," Helga said, nodding. "Slower to activate, but more efficient and less likely to invoke unwanted attention. I can be ready tonight."

"That is sufficient, proceed." Vance replied before turning and leaving the room.

Helga nodded. Before leaving, she tidied the storage room and made sure everything was as it should be. Then she nodded to Vance and headed back to sickbay to make some very special iced tea for the patients.

Alexandra smiled as the nurse left. She had picked an excellent drone.

OFF:

A Joint Post by:

Commander Alexandra Vance
Executive Officer

and

Senior Chief Petty Officer Helga (Hel) Lowe
Nurse

 

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