I Wish I Could Fly (Part 1)

Posted on Saturday 14 August 2021 @ 20:33 by Captain Melody Jones & Commander Save'ena (Sav) Tillatix & Commander Caroline Miller & Lieutenant Marbim Rejal & Major David Scarlet & Lieutenant Nir’anyar & Gunnery Sergeant Alexander Beck & Chief Petty Officer Marika Beck

Mission: A Cry from the Darkness
Location: Ptiná colony
Timeline: MD 12 1100
4765 words - 9.5 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:


Captain's log, supplemental: Having followed the warp trail of the ship that abducted Caroline we have arrived at an uncharted planet. We believe Commander Miller is being held here. An away team has transported down to the surface. We have been invited by a representative of the Ptiná, however, they claim to have no knowledge of Caroline's whereabouts. I've ordered Commander Rejal to establish diplomatic relations but at the same time try and locate Commander Miller. Not an easy task I know, but I have faith that he's up to the challenge.

After materialization, Sav did a quick look around. This place was gorgeous. Her rebreather was adhered to her tech belt. As per any duty time, Sav always had her duty sashe, tech belt, and wrist computer with her. The tech belt was for quick repairs, besides collecting samples and storing needed items for away team parameters. She felt her lungs fully open due to the lighter air pressure as she fully breathed in the safe for humanoid, just less oxygen per liter, atmosphere. She churred very lightly to let Miles know she was doing fine and was ready for his lead on this mission.

Anya was already snapping her tricorder closed and pulling out the Triox to dose up the away team. It would allow them to breath a fraction easier in the lower oxygen atmosphere.
"This should help but still keep breathers on hand everyone!"

"Welcome welcome ...." a slender alien female made her way towards them. She could pass for human apart from the wings nested from her shoulders and on her back.

"I am Harleen of the Ptina. I am the leader here."

Behind her were several other winged beings. Some clearly a security measure and holding what looked like spears.

"Thank you. I am Commander Marbim Rejal of the USS Merlin. With me are (pointing each person out), Commander Tilltix our Chief Flight Control Officer, Lieutenant McPhee our Second Officer, Lieutenant Nir’anyar our Chief Medical Officer, Lieutenant Morgan our Chief of Security, Chief Petty Officer Beck of our Diplomatic Corps. From what we've seen from orbit, your world is beautiful."

When Miles called her out, Sav did a slight bow with her curtsy to their greeters. She was looking forward to this first meeting, well, for the officers of the Merlin, and to find out who else was on this world and might have Caroline.

Marika stood a couple of steps behind the captain and to her left, along with the other members of the away team. Their language was decipherable by the Universal Translators that all Starfleet personnel used, but she could still detect the syntax and vocalizations of what they were speaking. She waited for the captain to call on her, hoping to get an opportunity to study their language. Her 'gift' as her parents had called it, was the ability to learn languages quickly and act as a translator.

Gregor scanned the area looking for and security devices or any other object that might be a threat to the away team. He watched the body language of the leader and her spearmen. Gregor was looking for any telltale signs of hostility and ready to act swiftly if there was. Now it was the diplomats turn to do their magic and resolve things peacefully if they could.

A voice came over their comm badges. It was Melody. "Merlin to away team. What's the situation down there?"

Miles bowed slightly to Harleen, and said, "Excuse me one moment," then tapped his combadge. "We just concluded the meet and greet. I have to say, this place is beautiful and serene. I will keep you updated as events occur, Rejal out."

Marika bowed as well. "Sir, will I be able to study their language and culture? " she asked in a low voice.

Anya was taken aback slightly by the wonder and elation the away team seemed to display at the surroundings... She could appreciate the beauty but in her mind, it lacked the pools of violet water that her homeworld had which brought it to being just a place to her.

Mathias, was quiet. He didn't even make any comments about the world nor how it looked to him. He took images but his mind was elsewhere, on Caroline. Was she okay, was she all right? He did make the cursory bow when introduced gave a half smile but that was about it.

Sav remained quiet to the side. This was about first impressions and greetings between the Alien Representative and the Merlin Representative, which was Miles. She would chime in when asked.

******USS MERLIN******

Meanwhile, on the bridge Melody was studying the planet information when the officer at ops reported. "Captain! I'm picking up a number of contacts approaching the landmass where the away team is. At least 40. They appear to be lifeforms but I can't get a clear reading."

Melody frowned. "Are they in a ship of some kind?"

The lieutenant shook his head. "No Sir but I am picking up weapons signatures!"

Melody sat up alert. "Jones to Rejal. We're picking up a number of contacts approaching your position, they appear to be armed. Prepare to return to the ship!"

******Ptiná colony******

Miles tapped his combadge, "Yes Captain!" Miles then looked at those around him, "We're being attacked, find cover, phasers are on stun, only switch them if you life is in imminent danger." Miles then looked to Ptina, "Is that what you had planned all along, have us follow the ship's trail and then attack whoever showed up? I guess it doesn't matter." Miles looked for some kind of cover for he and the away team to use.

“They are not our faction,” the alien said. “They are the other side, we only have good intentions. We want to help you find your people.”

Sav called out, "Stun only" as she checked her phaser while also shifting to find cover. She glanced at Miles at his remark, but did not deign to add anything. In her mind, these easily could be two different groups, one who was there to honestly greet them, and the other who may be involved in world politics or even maybe of those who kidnapped Caroline. This was now a mystery to solve, as long as they could stay alive.

**** The sky above Ptiná colony ****

Elina marvelled at how the wind felt in her face. This is what she was born to do, what she had been dreaming of all her life. Flying through the air majestically, unaided, her weapon in her hands. Finally, she would reign down hellfire. Behind her were thirty-nine more of her fellow comrades who had been bestowed with this gift thanks to that human doctor's research. It was a shame they were going to have to kill her, but once she had completed her work and awoken the beast, she would be a liability. They were only the first test flight. Soon, their entire tribe would receive their ancestral right and claim dominance over the skies.

She spotted her target and spoke into her com device. "I see the target area. Kill them all! DIVE!" and like they tucked back their wings and descended like the shadow of death from above.

Mathias looked up frozen for the moment, he was seeing angels! Wait how is this possible?

As Sav moved over to a spot to be under protection while allowing tactics to run to a different spot while getting some shots in at whoever was approaching the away team quickly, she glanced at the sky. At first, when she saw the winged humanoids she thought, 'Vulpinars?', but then her mind caught up with that these flyers were bigger than the diminutive Winged Vulpines she knew, but these still had wings, and thus air superiority for the moment. She shifted under cover, closed her eyes, and listened intently for passing by flyers.

Anya didn't stop to marvel instead she ran to the nearest cover she could find and pulled out her phaser.

'Note to self... Send Kyhl on away missions in future. I seem to keep being shot at!' she thought to herself wryly as she took aim and landed a complete miss. 'And ask David if he would mind giving me a few lessons!'

Gregor dove for cover behind a nearby large tree. He reset his phaser for heavy stun and began targeting the flying creatures, firing at any hostile target he could see. Beams of energy lanced towards the targets and the numbers began to dwindle. He tapped his combadge. " If you see any hostiles break ranks to circle around us target them so we don't get caught in a crossfire! "

Not seeing any cover, Miles stood straight and made several shots. The first few missed as the targets were moving oddly. Taking a second to recenter, Miles dropped two quickly. Tapping his combadge he calmly stated, "Captain, Rejal. The attackers are flying, using their own wings. So far we've been lucky, but we might look at sending down a medical team to help those that are injured."

Anya had already abandoned using her phaser so she could treat the nearest injured person, one of the locals as it turned out but she had no idea if this individual had been an innocent bystander or one of the attackers.

Elina roared in triumph. The attack was going exactly as planned. Then, to her surprise, there was a scream over the comm. She looked over to see one of her best fighters falling out of the sky. Must have been hit she thought, but then another just stopped mid-flight and fell. Her elation turned first to worry and then to panic as more and more of her fighters were falling from the sky for no reason... No NO NO! what was happening?

Then the muscles in her wings spasmed and went completely numb and she found herself falling as well. That Human doctor! She thought to herself. She has betrayed us! She closed her eyes and sent a brief prayer to her Gods asking for mercy and a swift death as she plummeted towards the ground.

Marika drew her phaser and found the nearest cover, a boulder about half her height. Of course, she knew how to use a phaser. She was a Marine wife, after all. She watched things unfold, puzzled at the sudden appearance of what appeared to be angels. At least, what human lore and legend would call angels. She really needed to get some time with one of the Ptina, ask about their culture. Though she was a Diplomatic Corpsman, a large part of her job was researching cultural norms of new species, in order to assist in diplomatic relations. She snapped out of her thoughts almost as fast as they had started; not exactly the right time to be thinking of that. Things were getting real, fast. She hefted her hand phaser, ready to defend herself if needed.

The bellows for help as bodies started falling from the sky like some form of bizarre rainfall pulled the Benzite's attention from her patient. "What in the oceans of fate is going on!"

Sav's brow furrowed as she heard the screams start to sound as well as the sounds of winged flight changing to skydive falling. 'What the heck' passed through her mind as she looked out from cover to see what was going on.

Gregor saw a female falling near the small cliff face that he was near. He holstered his phaser and sprinted towards an angled rock near the cliff face and ran up it and jumped to gain altitude. He used his legs to reangle and push off of the cliff face and towards the falling winged female, he was maybe fifteen feet above the ground when they intercepted. They collided in midair and he was slightly below her and wasn't at the angle he wanted. This is gonna hurt. They hit the ground together with her landing on his left shoulder taking the brunt of the force.

Gregor felt a sharp pop from his shoulder and knew it was most likely dislocated. " At least she didn't hit the ground at terminal velocity. " He muttered under his breath. He looked towards the group seeing if anyone else needed help and then yelled out as loud as he could " MEDIC !!! "

In seeing Gregor perform a rather spectacular maneuver to catch one of the falling flyers, Sav looked for any near her. Finding one, she ran to be near the fast incoming flyer while turning around to have her back to the falling person. She fluffed up her tail while her mind spatially calculated exactly where the flyer would hit. She leapt upwards and right when she started to return to land, she felt the flyer slam into her tail. Using her tail and height, she absorbed the falling kinetic energy as she came back down. She grimaced as she felt the flyer impact onto the ground, but with her tail in between.

Sav didn't feel anything amiss within her tail after the flyer came to rest. Her densely woven fur around her long and flat tail absorbed a lot of the velocity of the flyer, but that flyer still received hard jolt. As someone long ago had stated, 'It wasn't the falling that killed you, it was the sudden stop at the end'. Sav breathed a sigh of relief as her hearing picked up a heartbeat and breathing. Not sure of the flyer's condition, she kept her tail in place as she sat down upon the ground and called out, "Caught One... Need's checked!!"

With his communications still open Miles added, "Captain, the enemy, they are falling from the sky, oh shit..." and the sound of rushing air can be heard followed by a loud thump, a crunch, and Miles adding, "I think somethings broken but I caught one."

Sav glanced sharply over at Miles upon hearing 'something's broken'. She would definitely have to check over her rather stoic fiance and make sure he got medical help.

Mathias came out of his daze at seeing the winged beings and actually felt helpless at the beings plummeting down from the heavens. Not all of them were going to be caught, maybe another one can be saved like the others were trying to do. He looked as one was falling, he ran and leapt into the air to do a mid air tackle, to change where the person would land. It would change the velocity, contact was made, he wrapped his arm about the being, twisting his body to where the person landed on top of him. This knocked the wind out of Mathias, stunning him.

Melody's voice came over the comm again. "Merlin to away team, what's going on down there?"

Mathias groaned and tapped his comm badge, "People having wings, were attacking us, then their wings quit. Falling out of sky its a mess. Send medical. Its..horrible!" there is a sob in his voice at the last bit.

Miles groaned and replied, "I'm not sure Captain. One moment we were being attacked by people flying in the air, the next, they began falling out of the air. Some were due to our return fire, others, it was like their wings just stopped moving. Morgan, Sav, Mathias and myself all have caught at least one, I think I may have broken some ribs, I'm not sure but I believe that some fell to their deaths. Harleen and her entourage seemed shaken when they saw the attackers, at this point, I'm not sure where they went as everyone scattered for cover at the same time."

"Commander tillatix, Lieutenant Morgan, please place them here... I need to examine them" Anya called to the two but also noticing Morgan was in pain of his own. "Once I have a look at you Lieutenant!"

Sav called out, "Okay, working on it." She turned to look at the caught flyer on top of her tail. She really needed someone or a pair of someones to come over to lift her off of her tail, but as everybody was busy, Sav had to figure out a way.

" Sounds good Doc. " He winced a little as he put her down gently using only one arm. " I don't think she's hurt to badly as she landed on top of me, Felt something in my left shoulder pop when we hit the ground. " He said with a weak grin. " Could you patch me up Doc? I got to get back to work. "

******USS MERLIN******

Melody frowned. While she wanted to keep her people safe, she didn't want to appear like an aggressive invader, beaming down an armed security or marine detail. "Are there medical facilities there Commander? Do you need more medical personnel? Is the situation contained?"

******Ptiná colony******

Mathias looked towards Miles. "Miles we are going to need all the help we can get, this is an all hands on deck sort of detail. We need to get anyone we can get, to help rescue and recover. I'm suggesting the marines getting involved too. We need help."

Miles rolled the body off himself, took a deep breath and immediately regretted it, "I do not know about local medical assistance. Harleen and her entourage seemed as caught off guard as we did. We could use some help, whatever you can spare that know triage and medical care."


******USS MERLIN******

ON the ship, Melody responded "Acknowledged Commander. Tell Harleen we're beaming now more people to assist with their wounded and help with defence. Stand by!"

******Ptiná colony******

"Yes Mam." Miles looked over to Harleen, "You heard what is happening, hopefully more of our people with medical knowledge is okay to have appear. I apologize for my brusque behavior earlier, I, we, the last planet we visited we were attacked as well, I meant no offense. Is there any special considerations we need to know in order to treat any of your people who were injured?"

The other alien had been stunned beyond belief. “Thank you,”

She turned to some of her counsel and said in their own language, “How is that possible? They flew. None of our people have flown for tiatrims.”

The rest looked just as perplexed. “I shall get straight to Intel and our military my lady.”

One of the aliens scurried off as Harleen ordered her own healers to join them.

Sav listened intently as she finished managing to work the flyer off of her tail so that she could do a lift drag to get her over to the doc. Well, first, she better make sure the flyer couldn't continue to attack anyone, and so she grabbed her medical kit to bind the hands to the torso with the bandages going over the wings, and then binding the ankles. The flyer was, thank the creator, still alive. She was also happy her musings were correct, at least on the surface. It seems the two groups are not together, and, their flight was lost long ago, which meant, they might have a lead on who captured Caroline, especially as she was a full ranked medical doctor before becoming counseling. Now with her 'package' ready for the doc, Sav squatted and put her arms around the wings and through the space between the flyers elbows and body. Lifting up, she now dragged the flyer over to Anya.

Sav moved up near Anya and pronounced, "Anot'er one fer yah, Doc, ana not goin' anahwhere."

"Thank you Commander... Do you have any medical training? If you do, I could do with a hand!" Anya thought she had understood the accent correctly, but Benzite hearing was dubious at best and it had taken her many years to come to fully understand that funny human lilt they had to their languages.

Sav saw Anya working through what she said and she realized she slipped into her swamp dialect. She churred gently as she replied in standard galactic, "I'm a Damage Control lead, so I have advanced basic and basic triage. I will help where I am able." She got to work with handling the bandaging for cuts, scrapes, setting fractures and broken, and putting on compressions. That would let Anya handle anything worse. At the same time, Sav discreetly bound wrists and ankles to prevent further attacks or escape.


******USS MERLIN******

Melody then switched to the internal comm system. "Bridge to sickbay. We need additional personal down on the planet Have a team ready in transporter room 1 with Tri-ox compound. Have them wait for a Marine team that will be joining them."

"Understood Captain!" Kyhl responded quickly. "We'll be there shortly!"

"Jones to Scarlet. There has been an incident down on the planet, we need marine support for the away team. Type 2 phasers only, no phaser rifles. And keep them on stun. This is a first contact situation and we're not here as invaders. Assist with any injuries and secure the immediate vicinity, understood? Bring along some medical supplies as well, there'll be a medical team waiting for you in transporter room 1."

"Acknowledged." Scarlet had kept a team ready for backup so they would be there shortly. "Delta Team, report to transporter room 1. Type 2 phasers and med kits."

Pearl heard the call out for the Marines to meet at the Transporter Room and headed there quickly, seemed that there was going to be needing help from everyone.

Scarlet noticed Pearl and gave her a quick nod. "Don't punch the locals' Princess."

Inwardly Pearl rolled her eyes but outwardly she just nodded, "No worries, I won't be doing such sir." As she waited her turn to head planet side.

Scarlet stood on the transporter pad with the marines and was about to give the order to transport when several medical personnel led by an Andorian woman walked in and joined them.

"Nice of you to join us." Scarlet muttered.

"Don't be an ass." Kyhl replied crisply. She turned her attention to the transport officer. "Medical team ready for transport."

******Ptiná colony******

Harleen came over Ragel. “Those are the other faction,” she told the alien groups leader. “The enemy. They have never had that ability before. Our people lost it a very long time ago. It didn’t evolve with us.”

Miles nodded, "That may be why Caroline was brought here. She is an excellent Counselor, but I believe she has a history in medicine. We have extra medical support beaming down in a few moments, do you have anyone hurt that we can attend to?"


******USS MERLIN******

Melody had heard Harleens comments over Ragel's comms, Melody commented. "Number one, can you find out some more information on this other faction? From what Harleen is saying their being able to fly is something new and could upset the balance of power on this planet." Melody suddenly had a thought and altered her comm channel to include the Doctor. "Doctor, you mentioned the research that Caroline was involved in had something to do with stimulating neurons. Do you think this other faction is using her research to gain the ability of flight?"

******Ptiná colony******

"Commander... Could I speak to you?" Anya approached the Cardassian First Officer, tricorder in hand and a PADD containing a section of the data Caroline had sent her. She had found some unexpected and disturbing similarities between the research and the incapacity that seemed to have afflicted the aerial attackers. "Sir, are you aware of the data that Commander Miller had sent me?"

Miles looked at Anya oddly, "Carlone sent you information from where, nevermind, No, what information did she share." Miles took the padd and began to read. The shock from what he was reading was evident on his face. Miles muttered aloud, "How is this possible?"

No matter how much Sav wanted to move over to check on Miles, she remained on duty with phaser in hand to stand watch over the flyers who Anya had treated. She just hoped the Doc would remember Miles earlier stating something had broken and do a quick check over on him.

"The data Caroline sent me has some very familiar characteristics to the invasive genetic pathogen that seems to have invaded these beings neurons preventing them from using their wings... It seems to be inhibiting the transmission of the neural energies that fire the muscles that allow them to take flight... This data will need to be relayed to the Captain post haste... I would do it myself but I have the possibility of another plague on my hands."

She paused for a moment to catch her breath and order her thoughts before she realised that she had neglected one vital piece of information. "And no, it is not contagious. It seems to be genome locked to this species specifically! Also, one of the flying beings has informed me that they know of a medical facility on the northern most tip of this continent that could have been the source... apparently they were there only a day or so ago... It may be worth a look if I may Commander. I can leave Doctor Kyhl in charge of the clean up here"

"I'm on it." Khyl said as she walked over to the commander and began to scan him with her tricorder. "Let's just try to keep this from turning into a warzone this time."


******USS MERLIN******

Back on the bridge, Melody had a thought, she came down to ops "Can you track those flying.... contacts back to their origin?"

"I'll try Captain." The lieutenant replied. After a few moments "Captain, they originated from a continent roughly 10 miles to the southeast of the away teams location."

She turned to tactical "Direct a hail to that location. Let's see if someone answers."

At first, there was no answer when the first hail came, then there is a crackling of static and then there is a voice. "Rython here. Who am I speaking to?" his voice was gruff and sounded irritable as well. "You are interrupting my dinner."

Putting on her best diplomatic tone, Melody addressed the voice on the comms. "Mr Rython. This is Captain Melody Jones of Federation starship Merlin, representing the United Federation of planets. We have an away team on the surface conducting first contact with Harleen when there was an attack. I'm contacting you to serve as a potential mediator, hoping to avoid any bloodshed but also hopefully to secure the return of one of my crew who we think is on your planet."

"I will contact you when I am done with my dinner then we can chat visibly. Good day Captain Jones." and communication is cut.

Melody raised an eyebrow before blowing air through her lips. "Charming individual." She muttered to herself. "Let's hope Commander Rejal is getting more co-operation."


******Ptiná colony******

Harleen's thoughts were swirling. There hadn't been a proper attack in a long time but the fact they had some weird science and regenerated abilities that they no longer had showed the other faction was intent on establishing their dominance once again. They needed more information and they needed to speak with the enemies now in their camp alive.

"Don't worry commander," she turned to the one called Rejal. "We will get the truth out of this scum one way or another," she said angrily.

To Be Continued...

OFF:

Harleen
NPC Caroline Miller

●●●● Captain Melody Jones
Commanding Officer
USS Merlin


○●● Lieutenant Commander Marbim Rejal
Executive Officer
USS Merlin


●●● Commander Save'ena Tillatix
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Merlin


●● Lieutenant Nir’anyar
Chief Medical Officer
USS Merlin


●● Lieutenant Mathias McPhee
Chief Operations Officer
USS Merlin


○● Lieutenant JG Gregor Morgan
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Merlin


* Major David Scarlet
Marine Company Commander
USS Merlin


●● Lieutenant Kyhl Ch'rehroni
Assistant Medical Officer
USS Merlin