Posted by Lieutenant Kate O’Neill (Chief of Security) in Saving the colony

Posted by Lieutenant Kate O’Neill (Chief of Security) in Saving the colony

Posted by Lieutenant Kate O’Neill (Chief of Security) in Saving the colony
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻
SNIP
https://www.star-fleet.com/core/stf5/odin/notes/15757/ Link to orignial post -Lets keep this off the record
===========================
AT THE HOSPITAL

As they reached the doors to the hospital Katie and Shawn instantly knew something was wrong. The frosted glass doors with the standard medical symbol at the end of them did not open it was also deathly quiet. While the hospital was not large it still should have people milling about inside and around it as they came for treatment. There was none of this and even the door seemed to be more opaque than normal. Leaning in Kate cupped her hands and tried to see anything past the milky glass.

“Wow, when they say you need to make an appointment they mean to make an appointment,” Kate said giving up trying to see anything. “Is this normal,” she asked looking at Shaun.

“Not that I can recall, I mean as I said at best it can only hold 100 patients in rooms, but it had plenty of exam rooms for patients that had less severe situations. There is enough people in this city to have at least someone at all times in the waiting room.” Shaun said as he felt the pit of his stomach drop. Something was wrong, he wasn’t certain what it was yet but none of this was right. Before the city was idyllic, Portsmouth may not be a typical large city anyone in the Federation might be used to, but it had enough shops for what few tourists they had, as well as all the entertainment and other niceties to keep the people happy.

There was only one thing to do at this point. “I can probably hotwire the doors open,” Kate said reaching into my pocket and pulling out her old fashion Swiss Army knife. It was an antique and had a little purpose in the 24th century except for back home on the Ticonderoga or apparently on the colony of Persie IV. Using the blade she pried open the control panel on the right side of the door frame. Since it was a federation colony it hosted many of the familiar low-level security techniques. This was just a backdoor method to gain entry used mainly by local police or emergency crews if something were to happen and the door got jammed shut.

“What the hell are you doing,” a voice suddenly screamed from the other side of the frosted glass. “Go away. Do not stay outside. Get indoors and isolate yourselves before they come,” he snapped.

Lt. Kate O’Neill COS

His warning instantly put Kate on guard. She stopped trying to force the door open and looked around. The soft twilight was turning into dusk making things harder to see clearly. At this point, however, there was nothing to set off Kate’s personal alarms in her head. Feeling the queasy knot of cold dread starting to form in her tummy, Kate turned her attention back to the door controls. The man behind the glass might not want them to enter this way but Kate was going to do it anyway.

“We came from the spaceport, we got a distress call from a colonist friend of mine. I used to work here, what do you mean don’t stay outside? Where is everyone?” Shaun asked as he looked at the person, he needed to know more and this was certainly something unusual.

Grecken, Doctor

Shaun’s questions and answers were met with a harsh reiteration of the previous comments. “I don’t care if you are the President of the Federation. That is not going to help you here with us. Trust me the longer you wait outside the greater your chance of dying. Find a place to hole up before it is too late.”

The message said the colony was in quarantine. The streets and populace were acting like marshall law was enacted but there were no security forces to back it up. Nothing about this distress call or colony was making any sense. A small shock sent a flurry of curses from Kate as she shook out her hand. Walking the pain out as her father always told her to do with minor injuries sent Kate from Shaun’s side to the edge of the steps they mounted getting to the hospital entrance. Looking out into the setting night sky Kate surveyed the landscape. It was then she noticed a low shuffling like sound. It was faint and almost guttural but easily recognized by a hunter as the sound of life scurrying among the ground litter. The problem was there were no in the woods where rabbits and other rodents ran amuck. Taking in the view with a more detailed scan Kate finally saw something.

“Shaun,” Kate said looking down the street leading up to the hospital. The once empty streets now appeared to have some pedestrian traffic coming straight at the hospital. Kate looked back at the man Shaun was talking to behind the glass. His face was set in stone as he continued to bark out orders to Shaun giving Kate a queasy feeling. The man behind the glass was scared even though his words were gruff. His eyes held the gleam of someone struggling to act as if he was in control of the situation but faced with the reality he would die sooner rather than later.

“You brought them to us. Idiot,” the man snarled with a murderous look in his eyes. “If you are from here then you should know where to seek shelter. Go now. You might have a chance,” the man spoke firmly to Shaun. “Don’t let them touch you. Kill them on sight. It’s your only chance at survival.”

“Rick,” a familiar voice broke through behind the man fighting with Shaun. “Open the door,” she commanded pausing only a second to lock eyes on Shaun. Shaun would know her voice immediately. There was no way he could ever forget Grainne Walsh. Without being lovers, she and Shaun were as close as possible. reaching out she pressed her fingertips to the glass as if trying to take Shaun’s hand.

“You came,” she said in a pained voice. “I’m....I’m sorry,” Grainne’s voice broke for a second as the world seemed to stop in her mind and the only two people in the universe were her and Shaun.

“It’s fine, trust me it’s fine.” Shaun said, clearly glad her saw her of all people but still feeling a bit desperate. “Just have them let us in, we can help we just can’t from out here.”

Kate instantly saw the expression the woman wore. She didn’t have time to see how Shaun reacted in that second. She only heard the tone of his voice.

This was not the time to ask questions, however. Whatever was happening on Persie IV was now encroaching on an unprotected Shaun and Kate. The shuffling sounds Kate heard earlier were mixed with a low guttural hum as the group of people continued their advance on the hospital. The jerky movements and unnatural gait of the approaching band of people flicked on Kate’s security instincts. It reminded Kate of someone sick stumbling about trying to make their way from the bed to the bathroom in a feverish state. What didn’t fit was the noises they were making. It wasn’t crying for help or pleading for someone to aid them. It was almost growls or snarling. Scanning the possible points for escape, Kate quickly noticed all avenues to safely flee their spot where cut off.

“Rick let them in,” Grainne’s voice became more authoritative. “You know what will happen so open the damn door.” Her voice was taking on a shrill aspect the longer she spoke.

“And risk infection,” he growled at Grainne. “He is not one of us. You want to sacrifice our lives for his. This…this nobody!”

“I’m not a nobody, I helped you all for years. I can help you now but you just have to open the damn door!”

Kate sighed giving Shaun a worried look. She didn’t need him to tell her not to worry. The concern was no his face and few things rattled her boyfriend.

“Shaun we are cut off and options are rapidly disappearing. We need to get into that building,” Kate said pulling out her phaser. She could buy him some time but Shaun had to be the one to get them through the door. This was one-time brute force was not going to help. Looking at the approaching band of colonists, things started to click into place. The door had not been locked. It had been barricaded.

Lt. Kate O’Neill COS

“We just landed, look you can let us in and set us aside and watch over us if you need… but you can’t just keep us out here.” Shaun said, his tone firm as he looked at the two.

Grecken, Doctor

“Buddy this it nothing personal. I have a family. You would do the same,” he said harshly but not unkindly. “It is not about infection right now. It is about numbers and you have brought them to our door. We can’t risk being overrun,” Rick said with a hint of regret to his voice.

Looking down the road that led to the hospital Kate immediately saw what Rick was talking about. The road was being filled up by a group of maybe ten to fifteen people with one or two more adding to it every few minutes since she and Shaun had arrived. It had the feeling of a mob growing but none of the noise that accompanied angry people. If this Rick was not going to help then maybe Kate could talk some sense into some approaching the hospital. She just needed to remember that they could be sick and desperate which meant they could inadvertently be dangerous.

“Stop. Do not come any closer. We are here to help and we are not infected,” Kate said walking with a purposeful stride down the steps and away from Shaun. She needed to buy Shaun some time to get the doors open and allow for some access to escape the bottleneck if he didn’t. Checking her weapon, Kate made sure it was set to stun in case the crowd got agitated. A well placed shot in the air tended to settle people. As she rapidly closed the distance between her and the approaching colonists, Kate raised the weapon from at her side to the crowd based on instinct. The oncoming crowd was not shouting slurs or threatening messages. In fact, the most unsettling thing about the crowd was the lack of verbal reciprocity between them and her yet everything in Kate and her training told her the approaching people were dangerous. The low growling that caught Kate’s attention at first was far louder this close to them. It had an animalistic guttural quality as if the growling had replaced their form of communication. Their gait was shuffling but rapid in nature with muscle spasms jerking their body in unnatural poses as they continued to press forward ignoring Kate’s warnings to cease their advance.

Kate felt the hair stand up on her arms as she finally got close enough to make eye contact with the first of the group to be within five feet of her. They held a wild look in their eyes as they rolled from side to side in the eye socket not focusing on any one point.

“I need you to stand back or I will fire,” Kate ordered in a firm tone setting the phaser to max stun and taking aim at the nearest man approaching her.

“If you leave now you have a chance to get away,” he said gazing no longer at Shaun but past him and towards Kate. The way he stressed the word you in his last sentence made it clear Rick felt only one of the two people on the other side of the door was going to make it out alive. “I suggest you take it.”

The man never heeded her words. HIs fingers reached out clawing towards her arm but only brushed the fabric of her shirt. “I said stop,” Kate ordered in an authoritative tone. As his fingers closed around her wrist and pulled her forward kate reacted. “Move back,” she ordered the crowd but punctuated the sentence with a shot to the man’s chest. He dropped like a stone but the action did not deter or incite the rest of the mob closing in on her. As the group got closer and closer, Kate noticed more details that sent a wave of chills down her spine. The individuals were covered in scratches, bites, and lacerations that oozed blood, pus or were cacked over with dried blood and dirt. The smell was nauseating as the stench of unwashed bodies slammed into her nose. Thick white trails of foam spilled down most of the individual’s faces and chins. All these individuals had to be infected with whatever had quarantined the colony. Slowly she started to move back realizing nothing was going to stop the crowd. Kate did not let her fear overtake her in the moment. Raising her weapon she began a steady retreat picking off targets one at a time as she walked back towards Shaun.

“Go to the east about a quarter of a mile. There is a river. The water will deter them but you need to go now,” Rick almost pleaded as Grainne worked with two others at releasing the locking mechanism of the door.

Setting the phaser to wide beam she mowed down a row of the approaching snarling mob. The group of ten in front of her fell like rocks followed by the group of ten behind them and the ten after that. A flash of movement to Kate’s left caused her to pivot and repeat the attack pattern. Realizing she was being flanked Kate shot until she received bit of breathing room and spun on her heel to clear off her right side. It was then she realized her current plan of attack was cutting off any chance of retreat from the north, east, and west of her position. The row of bodies that had fallen over stunned had created a makeshift wall the was holding back more from approaching but only temporarily. They were stumbling forward over the piled bodies as if it were nothing but debris in the road. She let out a sharp exhale not realizing just how many had joined this attack.

Trying to create a hole in the only direction semi-clear Kate changed from a wide beam to a single shot. These people were not fast or agile. She just needed to create an escape route that was small enough for her to get out but large enough to avoid their reach.

“Grecken we need that door open ASAP,” Kate yelled finding it harder and harder to hold back the horde walking towards the hospital. The steady ping ping of Kate’s phaser’s indicated she was encountering something significant. Each shot that took down one was replaced by three others filling the spot and pressing the advantage. It was not that the crowd was hard to hit with her shots. It was that there were just too many of them and she was being overwhelmed by their numbers.

“She is holding them back. Let him in,” Grainne snapped working the controls of the door as the crowd slowly was engulfing the red-headed companion Shaun had brought to the colony.

Kate stepped back and felt a hand tighten around her shoulder. “Shaun we,” she said only to realize it was not Grecken but that she was being surrounded. Instinctively her arm came up breaking the man’s nose with a loud thick squelching sound. Her leg shot out kicking him in the gut. This forced the man to stumble back into the person behind him. It did not create an opening for Kate but merely breathing room to set herself up for a better defensive posture. She wanted to yell out to Shaun but her training kept her focused on the task at hand. Calling him in would only create two targets. She had to get free so that he would be there to cover her arse on the escape. Kate used the weapon to keep the people approaching from the front as far away as possible. She kicked and elbowed anything that seemed to get too close to her unprotected back.

Lt. Kate O’Neill COS

BUMP

A loud ruckus noise could be heard from the end of the street. It sounded odd, like it was almost mechanical. If Shaun didn’t know better, he would say it was a combustion engine. It wasn’t completely out of style to use vehicles like that, retro was always cool. Still, small backwoods planet he couldn’t imagine that was true. Still, the sound was getting closer as Shaun looked out, so close to death it felt he couldn’t help but wonder what bloody noise that could be.

“Clarkson! You moron I told you to not hit them! They are still people dammit, you muppet!” was heard as sound of flesh and bone hit metal as a sight Shaun was not expecting to see come before him.

“You said floor it, so I floored it, you can’t be angry about how we got here. These people are killing others, I hardly think worrying about their safety is anything we should concern ourselves with.” came the voice as Shaun took a second to adjust. Between the horde was a large road vehicle, it looked like something designed for the movie Mad Max and those voices… he knew them.

“Jeremy? James?” Shaun said as he looked over a Kate, the gentlemen before them were older, late to fourties, early fifties at the most. The mad look in their eyes made him wonder what how long they had truly been here

“Hammond!” he could hear from the second man, large and buffonish he looked with frizzy hair.

“Don’t call me that, that’s my middle name and… what are you… wait I don’t care we have to get inside here. Are you running… no wait I don’t have time for this, get in here now or I will have your sister and your wife to tear you apart the next time we get back to Earth, if we get back.”

Looking over he looked at Kate, “You remember my favorite Uncles don’t you?” Shaun said, his tone anything but endearing to them. Jeremy had been his blood Uncle related to his mother, while James married into the family with Jeremy and his mom’s younger sister.”

Grecken, Doctor.