The Arrival pt II

Posted on Tue Jan 4th, 2022 @ 8:14am by Game Master
Edited on on Fri Jul 5th, 2024 @ 4:14pm

1,236 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Interdimensional Archives
Location: Starbase 616
Timeline: Day 13

Day 13 continued

Jeremy stopped them at the door, the LCARS panel still in navigation mode and the arrow still pointing at the door. As they approached, Talrian on the hovering gurney, the door opened. The panel on the wall opposite continued to show navigation arrows. Who programmed the route indicated? Who locked out the transporter controls, forcing them to go forward on foot?

Why was there still no contact with anybody else? A station like this should have a staff of thousands but no one arrived to greet them? No one was operating Ops to attempt any form of communication with them? It felt empty and lifeless but that couldn’t be the case. His uneasiness grew but he and Corvus moved out of the docking bay and into the corridor.

“Computer,” he called out once again, not expecting the station’s computer to answer him this time. It failed to do so the five other times he tried. Corvus only glanced at him over his shoulder as he took the lead, directing the gurney to follow after him. So far everything worked as they expected but it wouldn’t be until they could access the computer and run scans before they had a better idea of where the station originated.

“I’m a bit fuzzy on the layout of a watchtower class,” Corvus said, his voice transmitted over their commline and into the receiver in Talrian’s ear, “but we shouldn’t be far off from a central area. Usually stations have a medical center near the docking bays.”

But their next problem arrived when, studying the decklisting on the side of the bulkhead at a junction, they found the direction toward medical blocked by a security field. The arrow on the LCARS indicated they should continue moving straight ahead. Corvus waited until Talrian decided to continue going the only way they could, unless they wanted to return to the docking bay. But something told him that would prove difficult. He strained to look down the junction as they moved through it, but still nothing. Even the jeffrey tubes accesses were blocked by fields, keeping them locking into this preprogrammed path.

Talrian lost track of the time they moved through the station. During all that time, they failed to see another person. Every junction they came to, their way was marked and any attempt to deviate was blocked by security fields. When their progress required the use of turbolifts, it didn’t matter what commands they gave, the lift took them on a predetermined course, depositing them back into a corridor of some prior choosing. From there, they continued to be led to some unknown destination.

Eventually, they arrived in a large area that may have once been a cargo bay of some type.

“Life signs,” Corvus said as he fitted the rifle to his shoulder. “Faint, multiple types.” He spoke in clipped, hushed tones but Talrian understood perfectly. He was looking around the dimly lit room. Rows upon rows of…pods of some sort…were lined up. Each had a glass type front but they were filmed over with some sort of substance, preventing them from seeing what was inside.

As soon as they entered, the doors closed behind them. Talrian directed the gurney forward as Corvus turned to try to open the door. Talrian followed the grunts and clipped updates Corvus gave. He made it to the first pod in a row and wiped at the glass. The glass felt chilled and whatever the substance was - it appeared to be frost or ice of some kind - it was on the inside, preventing Talrian from wiping it away. He shook his head, a theory, a chilling theory, forming.

“Sergeant,” he called Corvus over. Corvus jogged to where he sat on the hovering gurney. “Scan the pods.”

Corvus muttered in surprise then turned, his black visor staring straight at Talrian. “All the life signs I detected before are here. But they’re suspended, Captain. Every one of them. These are stasis pods.”

“Can you work the controls? Maybe pull one out so we can ask some questions?” He stared at the end of the row where two pods - one opposite the other on the rows - were open and waiting. He forced himself to watch the sergeant instead of the open pods.

“No can do, Captain,” Corvus said, disgust and regret lacing the voice that came over the radio. “It’s definitely based on Starfleet tech but it’s also not? I see how they should work, I think, but like the transporters and security fields, I can’t get it to work for us.”

“No,” Talrian said, turning his head once again, “I don’t think we’re meant to revive anybody here.”

“Shit!” Corvus said, removing his helmet, his eyes finding the open pods. “You don’t think we’re meant to be prisoners?”

Talrian shrugged. “I’m sure if we try to go anywhere else, even in this cargo bay, we’ll find we’re restricted to just this row.” Further, he wasn’t sure how it could possibly be anything other than a guess, but he felt the further down this row they walked, they would find their way back blocked by security fields. “I think that’s exactly what it’s supposed to be. Two pods, waiting for us.”

“No one’s here to force us, though,” Corvus said, turning about, his rifle once again raised and ready to confront any hostile target.

“I don’t think that’s going to matter. Whoever’s running this station has already got us here. If they have to, I think there are ways to force us into those stasis pods.”

“Well, I’m not getting into one of those, not just because.” He set his helmet on the gurney and looked around again. Talrian shrugged. Security fields, tractor beams, landing their ship into the docking bay. Someone brought them here and that same someone must have -

He stopped mid-thought and held up a hand, silencing Corvus. There, if he strained hard enough, he could hear. The slight rasp of gas being released.

“Complete an environment check,” Talrian ordered. Corvus let his rifle drop against his torso and shoved his helmet back into place.

“Standard atmosphere and…” Corvus shook his head, “...rising levels of anesthazine gas. We have minutes before it becomes sufficient enough to affect you, Captain.” His armor was environmentally sealed and contained a system that would prevent him from succumbing to toxins such as anesthazine for some time. Eventually, though, that system would run out and Corvus would succumb to the gas as well.

Talrian sighed and brought the gurney to a resting position, the rifle next to him. He breathed deeply. No matter what was going on, he doubted they were saved from dying in the middle of empty space and brought aboard to be led here to discover the pods of people in stasis just to be harmed now.

As the world grayed out around him, becoming darker the more he breathed in the gas, he thought he felt a slight shifting that indicated the possibility of the station moving.

“Contact, Captain!” he heard the young sergeant call out. But even as he tried to lift the rifle and turn to the contact the sergeant discovered, the world grayed, then went dark.

 

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