The Rescue Team - Part II

Posted on Tue Jan 19th, 2016 @ 11:53pm by Lieutenant Commander Nicolao & Jackson Banning V & Commander Sakkath & Major David Lorenz & Lieutenant Commander Gilroy & Warrant Officer Awf

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: USS Hammond

* USS Hammond - Briefing Room *

Lt. Gilroy had gone to the conference room a moment or two early to make certain that the system there was prepared with all the information Security had on the planet, the Borg and this situation in particular. So it was that he was seated when the others entered.

Nico was the last to arrive and he didn’t look much better. He settled into the empty seat and looked to Gilroy. “Is Major Lorenz linked in?”

Gilroy nodded, “The Major is on the line.” He looked to Sakkath, “All present and ready, Commander.”

Sakkath had been heavily invested in a PADD, but set it down and looked up at Gilroy’s announcement, if not at the sound of the doors parting. He folded his hands in front of him, free of their tinkering.

“Very good. Please proceed, Commander Nicolao, with your assessment of the situation.”

Nico cleared his throat and after a look around the table, he began. “Planet 6584 is a small planet, known to be barren and at this point, about 85% ice cover. On approach we did initial scans and placed the downed Borg cube. Our readings indicated one faint life sign, which was some fifty meters away from the cube. Commander Zeferino, Lt. Kendrick, and Iggy went to check the cube. Commander Nalas, Major Smith, and I went off after that life sign. We spotted it near a ridge of ice and we assume we were seen as it began to run back in the direction of the ship. We were keeping open channels in case either team ran into trouble. There were still no life signs apparent in the cube or the surrounding area. Any questions so far?”

“Several,” Sakkath admitted, leaning in, “but they are premature. Please, continue.”

Nico rubbed his tired eyes as he continued. “I notified Commander Zeferino that the life sign, which we still had no visual on, was moving in their direction. Her reply was garbled with interference. We managed to pick out something about an energy reading, then she mentioned Bryce, and then the words ‘have a problem’. Then the comm link went dead. As soon as it did, I first heard Iggy screaming in my head and then…..I could hear the collective via Iggy’s thoughts. That’s when we began to run towards the cube.”

Jackson cursed aloud. “Meaning that, at that point, we have to assume two things: there was actually something on the cube that managed to stay hidden from sensors, and Iggy had been taken.”

Nico nodded. “Exactly. I called Oz through the channel to check on the situation. She responded, saying that Iggy was injured and Bryce unconscious. She requested our help in moving them. Dae informed her that he was coming in and ordered Patrick and I to stand watch in case the one on the outside reached the cube.”

“Is the Cube’s structure the same as other Cubes we have encountered?” Lorenz asked over the intercom. “Or more to the point, is there any particular area of the Cube that can be identified as a possible weak area should we need to destroy it?”

“It’s a partial, Major,” Nico responded. “Typical cube construction but severely damaged on impact. Most of it seemed to be a casualty of extreme weapons fire as well. However, given their redundant systems, I’m making an educated guess that what was left intact was functioning normally, meaning varying shield frequencies.”

Having settled into his own seat moments before, Awf seemed to be very interested in what the others were saying about the Cube itself. Perhaps it was because of the fact that as a helmsman he had to constantly consider the physical motion of an object through space. Therefore, he was probably looking at the issue from this perspective. "You know, if she moves like a regular Cube, I could perform an analysis based on what I understand of the physics of motion of such an object in space combined with the information Starfleet currently has in the databanks."

“I can establish a perimeter around the crash site,” Lorenz said via intercom. “Once my fireteams are in position, we can begin raising enough hell so that most of the defensive drones will be drawn away, allowing you folks the time you need to do a thorough search for our people inside the wreckage. Once we get the defenders far enough away from the Cube, we can detonate a focused electromagnetic burst and cut them off permanently from the collective. I have tasked Lt Harrison’s Recon Marines to plant the charge near their central core. Once the charges are placed, we will detonate and hopefully begin rescue and recovery operations.”

With a short exhalation, the Ocampa pilot had unfortunately taken that to mean that he was going to be stuck working with the Marine Corps again. These inter-service operations were going to be the death of him, but he didn't do anything to indicate that he didn't like it. In fact, considering his constant quest for new experiences, he actually did at least appreciate the fact that he had the opportunity to do it even if he didn't care for it.

Once the discussion settled down, Nico continued. “Patrick and I waited and then suddenly we heard Dae’s voice. He sounded like he was in trouble and was ordering us to get away. Patrick was closer and was taken down by a phaser blast as we were retreating. They were coming after me and I managed to get to the ship. They began hammering on the outside as I fired up the engines and lifted off. Eventually I arrived back on 900 and the rest you know.” He pressed his hands to his eyes and took a moment to get control of his runaway emotions. “In all my years of field work, I’ve never willingly deserted others. Dae gave his orders however, and it was that or be assimilated as well with no hope of recovering any of us.”

Gilroy grimly pointed out another plus to Nico's desertion: "Had you stayed, Lt., you would have been assimilated and Patrick's ship would have been available to these Borg. This close to SB900, with all of the knowledge you, Dae, Oz, and Patrick have, the Borg could have easily gotten onto the Station, or within a spacewalk's reach of it."

“That is about the only thing that has made leaving them behind palatable,” Nico answered.

Jackson shifted in his seat and turned slightly to face Nico. “What I’m about ta say is hard, given my wife’s now a drone, but it’s sincere. I can understand what yer goin’ through. No one ever likes to be the one who gets away when the rest don’t. But Gil’s right. If you hadn’t, all of you woulda been a loss and the station too most likely. Ya did what ya had to do to, Nico. No one blames ya for it either. Least they better not.”

Nico nodded. “Thanks. That’s about it. After that I got back to 900 and you all know the rest.”

Originally Awf had thought about saying something in regards to the fact that dealing with all of that survivor's guilt would have, at least in the Ocampa's eyes, made the other individual look at that much stronger. Nevertheless, he figured that it might have been for the best not to say it. That might have only ultimately looked rather strange in the end, and been taken as a rude statement.

"We do. By now, according to the latest data the Federation has on the Borg, our people will have been fully assimilated. We aren't sure how many other drones are present on this planet, so, Major Lorenz, we'll utilize your strategy, with the caveat that if our people are in that group... Use lethal force as a last resort," Gilroy said. After Oz hadn't reported in, he had gained access to the report Dae had sent to her and knew that the cube, wrecked or not, was likely still partially buried in ice. "The cube was not mobile when our team set out to investigate it. Hopefully it remains immobile; we could draw the drones out by taking a shuttle to the surface."

“That would get their attention,” Jackson agreed, “based on what Nico said. They seemed damned intent on the ship. If the cube’s disabled, a ship or a shuttle is their way off so they can spread the virus.” He mumbled and rubbed his forehead. “I can’t believe I just said that about my own wife either.”

Frowning, Gilroy glanced at Jackson. “Nico also said that Ignatius, our resident sentient tarantula, has been assimilated with our people. I’m not sure how the Borg would have assimilated her; Iggy has no brain.” He realized how that sounded and clarified, “Um... tarantulas don’t have a central brain; it’s not just Ignatius.”

Blinking for a moment, Awf looked up again with a level of puzzlement as a result of what the other was saying. "Physiologically how would they have done it anyway? I was under the impression that the Borg weren't capable of assimilating anything that wasn't on two legs. They couldn't, for instance, you know...put all those robo-parts inside of a Horta."

“We cannot assume that they have not encountered lifeforms of similar stock in their past. Ignatius is a unique being, but her anatomy may not seem alien to a race as well-traveled as the Borg,” Sakkath cautioned. “I admit, though, that Ignatius concerns me the most. She can ambush us far more easily than any of our officers could. I am working on a means to distract her, but I am working from several assumptions based on her physiology and a fair amount of hope that her animal instinct is not yet overwritten.” He glanced around the room, taking stock of everyone gathered. “It seems we have a plan. I will reiterate that this is a rescue mission first and foremost. Lethal force is to be used only as a last resort on our people. I want to bring them home.”

“Ditto that,” Jackson agreed. “In that case, let’s get busy. We have plans to finalize and preparations to make. I’ll be back at the bridge in a few,” he told Sakkath.

The room emptied out and Jackson sat, eyes closed, as he tried his best to come to grips with the situation.

**************
Lt. Gilroy
Commander Sakkath
Lt. Commander Jackson Banning V
Lt. Commander Nico
Major David Lorenz
Warrant Officer Awf