Star Trek: Starbase 777 - bf-east-corridor

Blegh pushed forward. She pushed forward, because she couldn't bear to face her failure. If she couldn't protect, she was as good as dead. First one into the room, she held the phaser Dmitri had given to her in her non-dominant hand, giving her injured arm the rest it probably needed.

She had followed next to her boss, let the scientists do the scanning. “Sir, wait up! At this rate the group will be divided, even if briefly. Dangerous even still…”

Ehlai was there as well, following Blegh and repeating a mantra from his past that was likely not supposed to be used in this instance. What he did know was that if they figured out what was happening... it should stop... right?

The lieutenant had a point. She paused and let everyone else catch up.

Holly looked over her shoulder to check on her little flock of ensigns before focusing on Blegh for potential orders.

Paco soldiered on forward close to Holly because that's where his ensigns were, keeping his tricorder up and ready to report either more people being dead to Jim or if there are any lifesigns at all.

“How’s your arm?” She asked, her own arms tucked firmly at her sides.

William entered not too long after. He'd process the emotions of having seen Silas - the survivor he was just talking with not too long ago - be taken away. For now, it was time to try to ensure no one else falls victim to the same fate. He looked further down the corridor, trying to see if any survivors - or monstrosities - might be down the hall(s).

Having kept the vent covered, Vara'l swiftly followed up, though slowed after a moment to ensure he could ensure the rear of the group remained covered. While he certainly happened to feel emotions, the Romulan remained outwardly calm for now. Not that he felt that, as he processed the death grimly. Not the first he'd witnessed. Not the last perhaps. Still happened to be..alot even if he processed it with the swiftness of practise, to be addressed in full later.

Obeyed the lieutenant and moved on, man this was really turning into a test by fire, but right now priority was the same preventing anymore civilian deaths, he also did think, this wasn't a good way to die, better stay focused.

"Everyone remember to look up," Blegh advised the away team as everyone filed into the hall. "Nobody else is getting taken on my watch," she added with a glance at the ceiling. She glanced over at Suun. "I'm fine," she said in a clipped tone.

"Copy," Five answered in a small voice, fingers curled around their bag of tools. Fuck's sake..

Well, it wasn't the first time he'd seen someone die, and it surely wouldn't be the last in his career. Dakom's goal now was just ensuring that it wasn't anyone else here. He kept an eye out as best he could, both watching the corridor as they walked, and watching the others.

“You did well.” She muttered, noting the clipped tone. She hoped her words hadn’t been interpreted as pity.

4

Up. Up was never good. Not for someone short anyway. She sighed.

Why is it every time he came to one of these things, he experienced The Horrors? Was it him? Was he the problem? "Did I hear someone say earlier that it was made of metal? So is it a machine?"

4

Vara'l occasionally played his rifle torch upward as he remained near the back of the group and covered the rear. Five noticed, Vara'l moved briefly closer to the other and inquired softly. "Is all well, Lieutenant?" Concerned for his friend.

Vesta kept her eyes trained at the ceiling. They had been caught off guard so far but maybe if somebody we keeping a lookout they would be a little more prepared.

"I saw wires when I shot it," Blegh informed Dmitri. "It may be part-biological, but there's definitely metal,"

"Metal from Pralor, possibly a automated personnel unit... honestly explains why there wasn't any life signs..." Paco answered, and then thought out loud

"Robot gone rogue? That never ends well ..." Holly muttered.

"Can we calibrate a tricorder to pick up that specific metal... or does it not work like that...?" Ehlai was now thinking out loud about things that might help their cause.

”Alright.” She couldn’t help but begin to notice the tension building up on her boss faster still than on others. Suun seemed to try to help though. Something part metal part meat… not alive enough for a sign. “Is there no way we can locate it? As a machine? Any… emissions of any sort?” She had no idea what could even be emitted and how to pick it up, but she hoped the nerds could maybe figure it out.

"I wonder, is there some kind of..." He scrunched his nose a little trying to remember the name, which made his nose extra scrunched because he was part Bajoran, "...EMP we could make, if we find a replicator?"

“Wouldn’t be the first, there was a rouge android the last time we felt with Breld.” Vesta said, though Kix hadn’t been quite as murderous.

Blegh was very tense; Marze's observation was accurate. She kept scanning the ceiling. Suun was here, but she couldn't face her. "Well" was not at all accurate. She'd let someone get killed.

2

Kix was pretty murderous, I fear.

11

"No. They were made for war... but yeah, practically rogue in its methods" Paco answered to Holly before he turned over to Ehlai. "That's actually a good idea, Cadet. I'll try to set my tricorder to find detect that metal. It should be logged by Voyager at least... Ensigns, you should do the same... the distraction should at least help a bit"

"Well i can try to set a tracking for the metals yes, but it may be generating it's own stealthing field, as no other methods have worked" He set his tricorder anyways and marked the beep that was just the metal they had left behind.

Having no insight to contribute to this part of the conversation, Dakom instead took this opportunity to notice the way Dmitri's nose crinkled when he tried to recall. Huh. Are we sure cute wasn't on the list? Nevermind, back to looking around at their surroundings.

4

3

5

"Maybe, but it's worth trying until we know it could do that. Not dismissing the possibility though." Paco said to Vokk as he continued to work

See! Always count on a nerd to turn your loose idea into something executable and helpful!

Blegh turned on Paco once the tricorder idea began to be put into effect. She fumbled for her own tricorder with her bad arm, holding it out to the scientist. "Could you modify mine, too?" She needed to be vigilant.

"yes, of course sir." Paco promptly accepted the tricorder without any hesitation at all.

“If it’s not remotely controlled, we could figure out a way to track its next movements. They’re usually functioning in an algorithmic fashion, if they’re war robots.” *She suggested.

"Also maybe a topographic scans of the ducts" He stood still for a moment "Sorry everyone i may need a few.." He pressed a couple dials and the tricorder extended a tiny antenna as he started to try and map said ducts "By contrasting this with the map we have i should be able to tell were they have exits more or less." Or maybe he was just talk, but won't know if don't try.

Blegh moved to contact the bridge while waiting for Paco to make the modifications. She gave him a nod, infinitely grateful.

"Make it so, Ensign." *More sure Picard impression this time compared to the first time as he worked on Blegh's tricorder for a bit before handing it back to her. *"Here you go, sir."

As the competent people worked, Marze took that little respite time to wonder why this robot was here, so far from “home”. Had the Company brought it with them? Was it some sort of security that went rogue? Why only one? Was that all they had gotten their hands on? Maybe it was for the best since some were still alive, that might not have been the case with a dozen of these automates. “You’d think they would have learned the lesson…” She chuckled.

Once finishing her message to the Eventide, Blegh took the tricorder from Paco. "Thank you," she said, voice very strained as she did so, and tried to figure out how to hold both a phaser and a tricorder with one arm not fully usable. (edited)

As the away team caught their breath, a door slowly creaked open deeper in the corridor, some brighter light bleeding out into the red emergency ones. A voice echoed down the hallway. Foreign to some, all too familiar to others.

A woman’s voice, “Silas? Is that you?”

5

"Fine," he answered Vara'l all too quickly, as if he couldn't feel the tendrils around his body even now. Five gave a full-body shake, like a dog shaking off water, taking a breath. "Fine." Dark eyes creased in a weary excuse for a smile, one that was dropped as soon as the voice was heard. "We're Starfleet," he answered, already moving towards the sound. "Are you alright?" (edited)

“Oh fuck.” The door slammed closed!

7

"....should I tell her that 'he's dead, jim'?" Paco whispered to Holly, hoping the others didn't hear that. "Damn... that was rude..." Paco said quietly to himself.

"So, that went well." Holly raised both eyebrows. "Someone doesn't like us."

"Ma'am," Blegh called with as much authority as she could muster by this point. "Your friend is dead. Whatever is crawling around in the ceiling killed him. We're here to help make sure that doesn't happen to you,"

She couldn't help but snicker a little at Paco's suggestion. "Maybe don't."

"I concur." He knocked (politely) then said (rudely): "You're fucked if you don't work with us. Open up."

6

Not recognizing the voice, admittedly, Five wilted. "I was only trying to help.."

5

“We could word that better.” She shot a glance at Dmitri, “We mean her no harm.”

“We ran into her last year, when we were dealing with the colony.” Vesta signed. “She fired on the Eventide.” Needless to say, Vesta was not surprised at the reaction.

The voice from behind the door was muffled, “Yeah? And you’re fucked if you stuck ‘round here!”

More muffled voices of dissent and agreement came from beneath Liza’s, “Let them in, goddamnit!” “No! They’re Starfleet!”

“Shut the FUCK UP, all of you!”

"Okay." Paco accepted Holly's advice with a thumbs up and did not argue because that was not something you should do to a superior officer. Otherwise, he just kept quiet despite Dmitri's methods. of getting them to open up. Though, otherwise, he would think about shooting the door. Door's are the enemy of a D&D party. (edited)

Now it was Marze who was loosing her patience. “Listen, you can wait till that thing maybe kill us out here and be completely alone with it, oooooor…” And Marze was quite emphatic. “You can make use of our force to your advantage and find a way to either neutralize the fucker or get the hell out of here! Whats gonna be?” (edited)

Blegh took a deep breath. “If we’re not let in, we will be breaking the door open,” she warned.

"Okay, guys. Maybe let's try to NOT antagonize the people here" Paco advised, or well more like suggested, to his fellow lieutenat junior grades

But what if that woman didn't want to get rid of the creature? People losing control of their creations was no new concept. But alas, Holly remained silent.

A long sigh. "I'm a doctor. If you have wounded, I can help."

5

There was silence for a few moments before the door creaked open once more, “…goddamnit, fine.” Enter the #bf-canteen?

5

"Yay diplomacy worked...." Paco faintly said as they opened the door

Vara'l, also having started to move toward the sound, turned and fixed Five with a full grey eyed stare. "..Five." He started then before his jaw worked. "Okay." Vara'l had continued to move then. Continued to do so as they asked their question. "We're functioning within normal expectations." He responded without thinking as it slipped his mind to use I. "Hrrm." He hrmmed at what he'd heard then before he headed into the canteen.

She’d thought herself pretty diplomatic. She had just laid the situation as it was! No threats, yet. At least until her boss spoke up. Another point to Blegh. She followed along.

Their eye avoided his, stormclouds passing harmlessly over an ink-black sea, and Five tightened their jaw and carried on.

Once everyone was inside, Blegh stepped out, letting the door close behind her. She might not be willing to let an ensign be out here by himself, but she knew full well what she was doing. She stood with her back to the entrance, keeping her phaser and tricorder trained on the ceiling.

4

And suddenly, the corridor was silent, with only Blegh standing amid the emergency lights. Where to?

Scrrrraaaaaape…

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1

Staying vigilant for this long was hard, but Blegh had been fairly confident when she'd come out here that she was up to the task. After all, it was no different than watching the security feeds, right? But she had spaced out, only drawn out of her thoughts by the sound of metal on metal. Her heart dropped to her stomach, and she blinked to focus her vision, clutching her phaser and checking the tricorder she'd asked to have modified.

Metal. The same APU from before appeared at the end of the hallway, it’s left arm dragging behind it after the hole Blegh shot in its chest had worked its way through the shoulder and weakened the servos enough to completely loosen the small amount of metal remaining to keep it attached to the torso. It stared, blankly, watching. Waiting. Its eye was blank, and it wasn’t clear in what direction it was looking. For all intents and purposes, it was staring through Blegh.

6

Through her...? Blegh had her back through the door. Could these things see through walls? Her heart rate picked up, and she stood frozen. It wasn't moving, but that could change very quickly, as Blegh already knew well. What was the right move here? She needed to warn her people inside the canteen, but would speaking or even moving bring attention back to her? If it did, so be it. She tapped her commbadge. She blanked on names, but after a moment, thought of Cdr. Zalan. After delivering her message, she raised her phaser once again.

3

The moment Blegh stopped speaking, there was a sickly whining that came from the APU, like a microphone after being dropped onto the ground. And then, it spoke. “You Are In A Restricted Area.” (edited)

4

What the fucking shit? Blegh just stared for a moment, at a loss for words. "I'm-- pardon?" she floundered, completely caught off guard by this development. A better officer than her might've tried to figure out what it was doing here, why it was attacking everyone, or why it had been killing when it clearly didn't need to eat. Blegh was, evidently, not that better officer. "Who-- says who?" she challenged, despite very clearly being at a disadvantage. Or maybe she wasn't. She had a phaser, set to kill, and this thing was barely holding itself together. If she acted fast enough...

2

It lurched forward, its left arm still dragging behind it, “You Are In A Restricted Area.”

2

3

"Yeah, well, you're--" Shit, shit, shit. Should she fire? Would it even do anything? "You're just gonna have to deal with it, because I'm doing my job," she challenged. What was she doing? Arguing with the murder robot? In her left hand, her tricorder robot-detector was beeping like crazy. Very helpful, thank you. A beat. Then, upon remembering Suun's words-- the ones about heading out soon, not about not being a hero-- she spoke again. "Besides, what are you gonna do about it?" She was tough. She was strong. She could handle this.

3

Suddenly, someone came out if the canteen area, right behind Blegh. The Klingon had her riffle in hand and immediately spotted her boss. “Commander, wh…” Which also means she immediately spotted the thing before her boss, interrupting the question she had been about to ask. “Ah. Shit.”

3

4

Movement. The instant Marze stepped out, the APU lunged full force at the two of them, having caught a singular glimpse of the group of people behind the door Blegh was guarding and Marze emerged from. Its right arm collided with Blegh, and in an instant, it grabbed her head and slammed her down onto the floor, a sickening crack coming from the shoulder that she fell against. The left arm, loose and flailing, managed to collide with Marze’s chest, dead weighted metal thumping against her ribcage. The wind was knocked out of her. It stood overtop Blegh for a few moments, before turning to Marze and grabbing her arm, ripping the rifle free from her grip as she staggered and cracking a few of her fingers in the process. It kicked at Blegh, and then at Marze, and wedged the phaser rifle under its right arm before slamming itself against the door. - Blegh, you are concussed and have a fractured shoulder. - Marze, you are winded, have a cracked rib, and broken fingers.

5

1

Blegh didn't even have time to feel bad about the fact that she'd put one of her people in harm's way before the entire hallway exploded into stars. Not the good kind, either. Once the unit was off of Blegh, she stayed down. It was likely she was done for good, at least until they got back to the Eventide. None of these thoughts actually surfaced, though, because her brain was bruised or whatever the hell a concussion meant. Her vision was fading. Stars above, she could barely keep her eyes open. She was trained in hand-to-hand combat, but not when she was abmushed by a freak of nature that moved faster than any living being ever could. She tried, she really did try, to stay awake. But she was so tired... and her head hurt so bad...

Having have headed for a patrol, Vara'l was on his way back when he heard what happened to be happing. He then roared. "Over here!" Levelled his phaser rifle as he charged forward and fired at the entity!

”Motherfu-“ As the air was violently forced out of her lungs, her sentence was cut short. For one moment her vision went dark and she was pretty sure to have felt something crack. Shit! She gasped, the air went in with a deep burning ache on her right side, and before she could properly stand up the APU had already been on her. Too slow Marze. They say the smaller the bone, the higher the pain? That was probably true, the ache shot up through her arm as she now saw herself weaponless. “Co-commander.” Her boss was on the floor and the thing was banging at their door. As much as her instinct told her to lunge herself against it, she knew she didn’t stand a chance on a hand in hand. She turned to Blegh, trusting the others to be able to shoot it once the door was opened. “Commander! STAY AWAKE! I can’t technically order you too, but fucking stay with me!”

2

Racing as quickly as her long legs could take her, she skidded to a halt towards the two downed officers. “Shit!” She hissed, seeing the state of both of them. “Marze, what happened?”

From the phaser fire in the canteen, the APU slammed down onto the ground onto its back. It attempted to scramble upward, before Vara’l’s phaser caught it in the left arm! The arm went flying backward, clattering against the ground as the APU fell to its knees. “You Are…In…Restriiiii…” The APU fell forward, silent.

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3

"No." Vara'l raced forward, levelled his phaser at it as it remained on its knees and switched to kill. He then fired at its head. "That's enough." He growled, storm grey eyes fixed on it.

What did it seem like Suun? “Commander! It got my phaser and attacked us both. Shoot it down!” Thankfully, that was what everyone did, and then the thing was laying on the ground, inert.

The APU’s head shattered into pieces with Vara’l’s blast, a tangled mess of wires and metal shards.

She watched Vara’l finish off the creature, exhaling in relief. “It seems tr’Hara has that handled. Is Tollum conscious?” She nodded, “And can you stand?”

Blegh was not, in fact, conscious.

SHIT! “Commander! I told you not to dammit!” Marze shook the Tellarite vehemently, trying to get a reaction. Head injury plus passing out meant: medical oh no. “Wake up!”

3

Letting out a string of curses in a language she hadn’t spoken for a century, Suun flexed her hands, before balling them into fists. “I’ll carry her for the time being. You just stay upright, we’ll catch up with the others in engineering.”

2

Vesta opened the door to take note of the damage. There was no blood! Yay! But the commander was unconscious and the lieutenant was shaking hey. “Don’t do that!” She signed, rushing over to the group.

Vara'l raised his phaser rifle off aim as the head was smashed. He then glanced down to the Lieutenant Commander and then looked into the room. "Medical officer get out here now!" He called into the room. He then moved over to take position to cover the group if anything further presented itself and attempted to attack them. Elements, why had he elected to patrol a bit. Elements. He then looked to Marzhe. "Lieutenant, don't shake them, get a medical officer here." The Romulan stated simply then before he tapped his combadge

“We should get her back into the canteen.” She sighed, “She’ll be safer there, and both doctors will have more room to work.”

Vara'l nodded then before, at the com message, he frowned. "I think they've left the canteen, Lieutenant Umali said they're in the West Corridor." He observed then before he added. "I've had no response from the medical officers." Vara'ls jaw worked a bit then. "Canteen's more defensible, I agree, we should get her back in there." The Romulan mused.

She nodded, scooping up the much shorter woman with a huff and shifting to stand.

Well, although she wasn’t exactly in good shape herself, it made sense Vara’l wouldn’t have known. A cracked rib and some broken fingers were less visual than someone passed out cold on the floor. “Alright!” An order was an order. Blegh needed immediate help, her own wounds could wait. She rose with a hiss, ignoring the way her chest felt heavy and her breaths burned, and started to make her way to the canteen to seek medical or whatever other option they had. Was her riffle still around by the way? She would retrieve it if so with her still good hand.

Timi's was in the corridor just in time to watch shit go down, but not in time to do anything about it. It wasn't a great feeling. He picked up the rifle the APU had stolen, slinging it over his other shoulder. "Reckless," he offered Marze from the side, signing with one hand, but he exchanged the incredulous raised eyebrow for a slight smile and a nod.

She was satisfied with this group and their condition, all things considered. She held the door to the canteen open for everyone to enter.

Ah! Timi to the rescue. She was glad to see him, oddly enough. The signed word and the expression made her huff out a laugh that proceeded to produce a sharp sensation on her side. Then she coughed once or twice. “Can’t blame me - cof - for being faster…”

Vara'l stiffened at the com message and spoke. "The rest of the team is in the west corridor, they've encountered more of the androids." The Romulan relayed to the group then. "We need to see to the wounded and regroup with them." Vara'l mused then as he looked back to Marze then and frowned. "Lieutenant, get your injuries seen to too, if anyone's still in there." He frowned a bit. "I think they've departed via another route."

She was here, making sure not to get in the way of the others, and slowly walking over to the fallen APU. Jayri kneeled down, pulling out her tricorder and started scanning it.

“Yes, they went into the vents to go to engineering.” She looked at Vara’l. “Should we go and meet them there?” She gestured at his rifle and her phaser.

What are you looking for, Jayri?

Vara'l stiffened, frowned then signed. "The vents?" Then nodded a bit and gestured into the canteen as he smoothly signed. "Can you show me where this vent is?" He then paused and looked to Lieutenant M'Kahl "Lieutenant, is all well?" Before his gaze turned to Timi. Given all that seemed to be going on, time happened to be against them. "Can you keep the Lieutenant covered here?" He asked.

“Yes,” She signed, then motioned him into the canteen.

Jayri first tried to scan it's primary systems module. Maybe she could get some information on where it's from, what it was made of, and maybe who made it? Perhaps there was any trace of an order or directive somewhere too...

Timi nodded to Vara'l, indicating he'd keep watch over the wounded and the others staying behind. He raised his rifle again, his posture immediately changing to a focussed, almost scarily single-minded one. He would not be caught unawares a second time.

Given the people here now happened to have a officer he trusted to ensure they'd be monitored and seen to watching over them, Vara'l nodded once. "Thank you." And headed inside to see the vent Vesta mentioned.

Jayri, your tricorder would bring up a file from the encounter USS Voyager had with the Automated Personnel Units. APUs were designed by both the Pralor and Cravic for war, but after both species were wiped out, the APUs simply continued the fight. These are weapons in humanoid shells, ones that clearly didn’t have any desire to stop. And soon, there was a skittering coming down the corridor…

As the skittering noise was broadcast to his subtitling, Timi dragged Jayri up and back into the canteen, so he could defend the whole group at once.

It was a practical platoon of APUs!!!

The APUs stood at attention throughout the corridor, a silent statue garden. It almost looked as if they were standing vigil over their fallen comrade.

Vara'l stepped out into the corridor as he followed the Breld individual. "Lead the way." The Romulan stated simply then before he tapped his combadge. "Lets keep moving and keep it quick, we need this done swiftly just in case this pause is temporary." The Romulan added after a moment then as he continued to move, Phaser rifle clasped as he picked his way around the APU's and followed along

Thanks to the EMP, a few were crumpled on the ground already, and others just stood with their heads hung low and limbs slack. It was eerie, but there was no movement…

Liza navigated through the maze of the APUs in front of Vara’l, her hands still in her pockets. She seemed to be fidgeting with something. Maybe she wasn’t as confident as she looked.

Ehlai followed in silence, his eyes scanning the area around him as he told himself that everything would work out in the end. "Is everything alright...?" He eventually asked Liza.

The manager shot a look back at the cadet, her eyebrows furrowed, “Fine,” She hissed.

Paco had his tricorder up, now back to its normal settings with the APUs down, and scanned around to see if there was still anything that was suspicious. Just out of curiosity, he briefly waved his tricorder on Liza before moving up to the ceiling to scan both. In all else, he followed in silence.

Liza was a human, stock standard, with nothing in the way of cybernetics. The APUs had no power left in them for now.

Paco casually shrugged at this information, nothing suspicious at all. Maybe she's just nervous.

Liza led them into the #bf-back-corridor