A Call From The Madhouse | Part II-D

Posted on Saturday, 21 August 2021 - 8:52pm by Captain Barret Stillwater & Commander Soral & Lieutenant T'Lanna Vali

Mission: Operation: Lazarus

ON:

The young man known as Pickles darted off towards one of the inoperable consoles and dove underneath it, rummaging in what was practically the dark for something that felt like a phaser. "Got one!" he shouted and he came out from underneath the console and brought it closer to his face for inspection. It had a charge to it still, but not a full charge. "Its power cell is moderately depleted, but it still has enough juice to fire a blast or two" he reported as he made his way back over to the others.

Belladonna gave a nod. "Okay. Stay here." He left Pickles and the Lieutenant and soon was back with an Engineer in rough shape. "Well, I figure the four of us can do this."

"Just give me orders, push me around, whatever you need in order to get this console working so we can talk to somebody on the bridge or anywhere. I'll settle for the guy in waste reclamation if I have to."

T’Lanna looked towards the others as they worked. “Just find us... somebody! They need to know we’re alive down here.”

They set to work. Belladonna and the engineer worked hand in hand to check the power supplies and to calculate things out. Time was of the essence but certain things could not get skipped. The work was slow and the tools made somewhat difficult to use due to hands shaking and eyes fogging. It was Belladonna who let loose a string of curse words.

T’Lanna shot a look in Belladonna’s direction. “What’s wrong?”

"We...we're missing something We can juice this up but we won't be able to get power unless..."

“Unless what?” T’Lanna was waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop.

"Trell D emits some side...waves that can block this if we had a damned device that could just cut the effects for a few moments."

T’Lanna’s eyes widened as she recalled a conversation she had with Hamura. It wasn't so long ago when they spoke about this very topic. It was just after the main briefing when Vali had followed Hamura our and they started their training. Hamura's hostility was here but the practicality for safety was as well…

=/\= Shortly after the briefing ….=/\=

Hamura sighed. "Alright are you comfortable?"

“As comfortable as I’m going to be” T’Lanna offered a cheery response. “Let’s do this.”

"Alright, activating the VR, don't get freaked out it will look like your ocular implants when you were Borg."

T’Lanna nodded. “I understand.” She flinched as the visual kicked in, it was way too much like being Borg again but she had to do this now she’d volunteered. “I can see...” she paused feeling a little dizzy. “Hold on... I’m a little dizzy just give me a few seconds to adjust...”

"Take your time. If you need to close your eyes do that."

T’Lanna nodded. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes giving it a few moments before opening them again. “Okay I’m good... what’s next?”

"Alright. Now I'm going outside and going to connect the holo matrix your hologram will appear there and we'll do some exercises."

“Understood” T’Lanna took a deep breath. Viewing the world through her old ocular vision was more than a little unsettling. It was like being a drone again.

Hamura left the room the room phased and then the Holo of T'Lanna was in the main engineering room. Hamura led her to a mirror to see that the hologram looked like T'Lanna herself and not a Borg drone. "That's the holo."

T’Lanna smiled. “Thank Heavens it looks like me!”

"Just a trick of the eye." Hamura motioned. "Please try to pick up that data PaDD. You may have to give it a few tries."

T’Lanna nodded. “Concentrating on the task her first couple of attempts were totally haphazard, the third had a little more success. “I think I’m getting the hang of this now” she smiled as she kept trying.

"Good. Let's do a walk around again and we'll try again and that's it for today. You need to rest."

T’Lanna nodded. “Agreed. This has been more exhausting than I thought it would be.” She offered a smile.

"We'll work again in a few hours just to keep you working cause when we're with the Trell D it will be a long session." Hamura studied her. "Alright. Once more around engineering and then the pick up exercise again."

“Once more it is” T’Lanna nodded. “I’ll get this, I have to. I’m no good to you if I can’t get this right.”

Hamura watched as she moved around again, her steps were getting better and she was able to pick things up a little easier but she had a few more sessions to do. When it was done Hamura shut down the program and removed her helmet. "Alright, that's all for today."

T’Lanna smiled. “Can’t say I’m not glad, that was pretty tiring and I still have to go home and feed Jayce yet.” She smiled warmly.

"Well get some rest and we'll try again." Hamura turned and started putting away the equipment. Hamura was beyond tired all this was having an effect and perhaps a vacation was due.

Hamura thought a moment "Lieutenant...one more thing...if something goes wrong."

“IF something goes wrong...” T’Lanna paused. “Just promise me that you’ll tell Raith that I want him to be my son’s father, and that I love him very much.”

Hamura said nothing. "Yeah well I meant more of a practical thing."

T’Lanna smiled. “Sorry! It was the main thing on my mind. Practical... don’t give up on us! That’s all I ask.”

Hamura executed the perfect eyeroll. "No for pete's sake listen! Some of your devices won't work with the Trellium D you'll need to great a steri field that nullifies the effects of Trell D." Hamura held up a device. "I'm going to put one of these in the room. It will nullify the effects of Trell D for five minutes but...it only lasts five minutes."

T’Lanna nodded. “That’s if I even remember it’s there! In a worse case scenario, if we’re in a state of exposure I might not remember what it’s even for!”

"Then keep it in your pocket. It's heavy." Hamura held up the device again. "Press the red button then the blue, then gold twice. Five minutes, no more."

“Five minutes...” T’Lanna nodded. “Got it.”

=^= Now =^=

T’Lanna looked towards Belladonna. “I have something!” She rifled in her pocket and pulled out the device. “Hamura made this, It’ll give you five minutes of power. You have to...” She paused and frowned. “Press... press the red button then the blue, then.... gold twice.”

Belladonna stared at the device. "Um....Hamura had this? Lieutenant do you know what this is?"

“I...” T’Lanna paused. “I don’t recall right now, I just know it’ll help us.”

"It's Romulan tech...Where the hell did Hamura get Romulan tech?" He took the device. "Not that I'm complaining."

“I don’t care where he got it!” T’Lanna’s voice was uncharacteristically raised. “Just get on with it!!” She paused offering an apologetic glance. “I... I’m sorry.”

Belladonna waived it away. He took the device and began working. "Okay so...we'll have two minutes of power and this device will keep us safe from Trell D for five." He looked at Vali. "Do you want to work the panel when we attach it and power it up?"

“Please” T’Lanna nodded. “I’ll make our voices heard I promise you that!”

Belladonna gave a nod. "We just need a few more minutes. I've saved one tricorder and linked it to the panel it will tell us if anyone is up there to hear us."

T’Lanna nodded. “Take all the time you need, we have to get it right first time.”

Belladonna worked again showing signs of stress. Within a few more minutes he gave a nod. "We're ready...it's gonna be a weak signal let's just hope we can be heard."

T’Lanna nodded and took a deep breath. “Here goes nothing... =^= Vali to whoever can hear me! We’re alive down here!! Need... help, people are..” She looked around for a moment. “suffering down here! Please help us!! Radiation leaking... we’re all exposed...” That was it, all she managed to get out before the signal died. She looked at the others. “Now all we can do is wait.”

Belladonna collapsed back on the wall. "Alright...we still have a few minutes of protection from the device...we've done all we can."


T’Lanna slid down the nearest wall and sat on the floor. “Thank you so much, let’s just hope they can get us out.” A few tears ran down her cheeks. “I want to see my son... To see Jayce! And to be with Raith again!”

Pickles crossed his fingers and rested his back against the console, sinking down to a sitting position and prayed for rescue.

{OFF}