Lab Search

Posted on Tue Mar 31st, 2015 @ 10:27pm by Captain Tim Williams & Lieutenant Commander Horatio Hawke & Lieutenant Commander Ciaran McIntyre & Chief Petty Officer Alyssa Carylon

Episode: Orphans
Location: Dreyas Four - Hidden Lab
Timeline: MD30 - 1210hrs

Reynak and McIntyre were the last of the groups to reach the coordinates pinpointed by the other search teams, which appeared to be a rather innocuous rock formation, held together by a mound of earth. "The Obsidian Order usually cloak their bases in a holographic field," the Cardassian first officer informed her counterpart, before reaching for another device from her belt. It was barely larger than her thumb, but she pointed it towards the rock formation and pressed hard against its surface. A moment later, the holographic façade wavered and vanished, revealing a rather more simplistic building, looking almost like a bunker.

McIntyre found himself cursing the attack as he and his group reached the squat building, finding the rest of the teams already assembled. If it hadn't been for those damned creatures his teams might have found the laboratory by now and saved them all some problems.

He nodded to Hawke and gave the situation a moment's thought. With the planet being a Federation colony, he had jurisdiction and the chances of the Cardassians not kicking up a fuss if one of their officers got shot were slim to none.

"Do we think there's anyone inside?" He asked.

"It is hard to tell," Reynak answered. "The structure does not look very large, but it likely descends to a subterranean area, which is where the lab will actually be. Even with our sensors and with the holographic camouflage disabled, the interior is shielded from even the most intensive scan."

"We'll have to find out the old fashioned way," Hawke grumbled as he surveyed the structure.

McIntyre approached one of his security team and spoke quietly. "Do you detect any booby-traps?"

"Nothing on my scanner, Sir." The officer reported. "That's no guarantee though."

"Highlander to away teams." The captain's voice sounded quietly through the communicators of the Starfleet personnel. "I take it you've found something?" The plan had been for the search parties to split off in separate directions; the captain must have seen them all converge on one point once the signal had been detected.

"Yes, Captain," Hawke replied. "We've found a structure that was camoflaged using a holographic field - technology commonly used by the Obsidian Order, we're told." He shot a brief glance toward Reynak as he said this, before continuing. "Scanners aren't showing up anything. We're going to have to enter the structure and continue our search."

"Very well; proceed," Tim ordered. "We can't detect the structure from up here, so it's likely we'll lose contact once you go in. Be careful in there. Highlander out."

The First Officer nodded as the connection was cut. He turned to MacIntyre, "Mac, I want you on point. Leave two security guards outside to cover our six and communicate with the ship if needed. The rest of us will be going in."

"Got it." Mac replied, taking quiet stock of the numbers forming up behind him before motioning to two grizzled looking security guards. "You two, stay here. Everyone else form an orderly queue behind me."

Reynak was first in the queue behind the security chief, holstering her scanner on her hip and ringing forward her rifle, ready for whatever threat the scientist might have left inside the lab. She doubted that Entek himself would be any threat to her or the rest of the team, but if he had left any of his monster creatures on guard, then they could be dangerous.

The muzzle of Mac's rifle was first through the door as he pointed in each direction as he tentatively stepped into the small entryway. He glanced around, taking note of the underside of the tables and looking for any movement among the equipment in the lab before flatly stating. "It's clear."

"It looks clear over here," Reynak reported, from one of the edges of the room. "Lepak, Nelor; check the side passages."

"You two- go with them." Mac pointed after the two Cardassians and nodded to his security officers. He wanted it to seem as though he was offering his support, but in truth he didn't want them finding anything before he did.

Turning back towards the centre of the room, not paying the lieutenant's orders to his own men any mind, Reynak took out her scanner again and studied the contents of the chamber. The main room itself looked to be the laboratory - any side rooms were probably sleeping chambers. Perhaps a concealed hangar bay for a small ship so that the renegade scientist could come and go as he pleased. There were numerous consoles around the room, and a row of liquid-filled tanks that looked large enough to hold even a burly Gorn were arrayed along one wall. In the centre of the chamber was a large aparatus of some kind. It looked similar to the medical beds that Reynak had seen many times in infirmaries throughout the Union, but with a solid enclosure over it that would completely cover whatever was lying on the bed. She stepped up to it and peered in through the transparisteel port that would be over the subject's face, and confirmed that it was empty.

Hawke peered around the room, examining the equipment with a growing scowl. The whole place was rife with a sinister feel about it, made worse by the fact that nobody was here. It was the little things that unsettled him most, he thought. The laser scalpel left carelessly on the floor next to an equipment tray, the ominous dark green stain dribbled down the side of a biobed, the slight dent in the thin metal casing of a trolley. It felt like something out of a horror holoprogram.

As Mac's security team covered the perimeter, Hawke turned to the Chief Engineer. "Ethan," he said. "What do you make of all this?"

To be continued...