Chapter Eight
Janna
Sutter attached a phaser to her right hip and set it on stun.
«
You'll be landing in an area where it's
Janna
nodded to the short transporter chief with long black hair. If she remembered
correctly, her name was Robinson, formerly of the
«
Onto the transporter. » she ordered.
Janna
quickly shoved the NVG onto her head, it was a new enhanced version that was
attached around the head and extremely small infra-red projectors would come in
front of the eyes, giving the user a 360 degrees view in all directions in
perfect infra-red projections.
The
team moved onto the pad and Robinson said : « It'll
take a few seconds to put it the scrambling-reassembling beam sequencer on
line. Be patient. »
They
waited, Burnel was getting impatient after one minute and as soon as she opened
her mouth to say something the blue beam from the transporter suddenly sent all
of them towards the planet.
The
cycle lasted longer than usual, Sutter felt as dsembodied
as usual, as if she was a ghost floating. With no substance.
And after a few seconds that seemed much longer, she felt herself rematerialize
in some very dark woods. She was glad she had her NVG.
«
Everyone okay ? » she asked.
She
heard affirmative responses from around her and she said :
« Good. Follow me. We'll head down southeast the go west and back up north.
That should cover the most ground as fast as possible. »
The
stepped through the forest for a few minutes in silence, then it was broken by
the chirp of Sutter's combadge. She tapped it.
«
This is Kline. Eskina has just made up a new frecquency
channel. We can speak without being found out by the officials of the planet.
»
«
Great. Give him a pat on the back for me, sir. » she heard a slap and a 'Ouch' in the background, and then a chuckle from Kline.
«
Orders fulfilled, commander. Kline out. »
She
smiled and continued walking in the darkness of the forest.
«
The
Great...
Kline became anxious. Maybe they found us out...
«
Put them on screen. » Kline said after a hesitation.
The
face of the Hargillian appeared on the screen, it was
a female. Very beautiful, long blue hair and slightly red
skin, but an expression that betrayed a very lousy mood.
«
Can you explain the meaning of your orbiting of our planet
? » she demanded in an efficient, clipped tone.
«
Uh... » he cleared his throat and smiled warmly. « I am captain
Kline of the USS-Valiant. We happened to be in this system and we came
to preform...uh...geological scans of your planet for
it is very similar to ours and ours is experiencing...uh...technical
difficulties due to extreme...seismic...uh...tachyon discrepencies
and we were wondering if your planet could help ours by...deeming to be scanned
by our fine vessel of Starfleet. »
The
Hargillian stared at him with a raised eyebrow : « You Federation types are quite strange. I am
connecting this channel to the High Dominator of Hargill
VII. Stand by. »
The
screen blacked out momentarily and then was replaced by the face of a beefy and
much less beautiful Hargillian with a thick orange
beard.
«
I am captain Kline of the Federation vessel the USS-Val...
»
«
Your father was a pig and your ancestors were very unhealthy vegetables.
» the Hargillian said before the screen blinked off.
Kline
stared blankly at the empty viewscreen.
«
That went pretty smoothly. » Eskina grinned.
«
Oh, be quiet. » Kline grunted.
« Yes, sir. » Eskina
was still smiling and he saluted.
«
I'm reading a faint duranium signature one kilometer east. » said Stevenson. « It's coming from some
hills. »
«
Could it be natural ? » asked Burnel.
« Nah. » said Stevenson, shaking his head. « This planet has
no natural deposits of duranium. That trace can only
be from a Federation ship. »
« Right. » Sutter said. « Let's go. »
A
few minutes later, the away-team was standing in front of a tall hill.
«
Stevenson ? » Sutter asked.
He
frowned : « They're inside this hill. » he looked up
at the commander.
«
How did they get a runabout in there ? » asked Sutter.
Mantion
stepped near the hill as the others tried to explain what was happening.
Suddenly, her eyes went wide. She pulled out her phaser, set it to maximum and
fired.
The
whole hill shimmered, a force-field disintegrated in front of their eyes and
the hil dissolved into nothingness. Leaving a small
complex in the place where the hill used to be.
«
Mantion ? » Sutter asked. « How the hell did you do that ? »
The
security officer said : « Just a feeling. »
Sutter
nodded slowly : « Well then, well done. »
The
team moved towards the complex. It was composed of two main sections, cube
shaped, made of duranium. They were connected by a
tunnel made out of granite, the larger cube had a
large chimenee sticking out from the top,
cylindrical. And they both had no windows. A runabout marked from the USS-Watan was atop the smaller cube.
«
I don't get a reading from what's inside. » said Stevenson, holding his
tricorder in front of him. « The holographic projector must be jamming the
inside of the cubes. That projector is extremely powerful. I don't even begin
to understand how it fooled us to thinking it was a real hill. »
«
Why don't we get inside ? » asked Burnel, impatiently.
Sutter
nodded and they all advanced towards the front door of the complex. It was a
heavy metal door, with a heavy handle to pull it open. It reminded Janna of the
doors to 21st century bunkers that she had seen on Earth. Remnants of the third-world-war.
Mantion
pulled it open, phaser at ready. There was a hiss of air as the door opened and
some white vapour flooded out around their feets.
Mantion
stepped in first, followed by Tarses, Sutter and Burnel.
The
room was filled with both standard and advanced medical equipement, there was a
thick cloud of white smoke that remained on the floor. The air was freezing.
« Oh my god. » Sutter heard someone say. She swiveled and saw Tarses, holding his medical tricorder,
standing next to a large closet of some sort.
«
What is it, doctor ? » she stepped towards him.
«
This freezer. » he pointed at the closet. « Contains all the
samples from the Watan. »
«
All of them ? » Burnel asked.
He
nodded : « Enough viruses and bacteria to kill
everyone on this planet within two weeks.
Sutter
stared at the freezer, that seemed like any old
closet...It was actually the most terrifying thing she had ever seen in her
life.
She
heard a hiss of air as the front door closed.
Stevenson
asked : « Now...who could tell me why that door just
closed ? »
«
I can. »
«
Oh...then why did it ? » Stevenson suddenly jumped. «
Uh...wait a second. Who just said that ? »
All
eyes turned to the second door.
An
old man was standing there, he had a kind face,
although his phaser rifle didn't look as kind.
«
What are you doing here ? » he asked.
«
What are you doing here ? » Sutter demanded.
«
I am a scientist from the Federation. »
«
Which one ? » asked Mantion.
«
Doctor Gerard Wilkins. » he said.
«
What are you doing here, doctor ? » asked Sutter. «
What happened on the Watan ? »
He
sighed : « If you must know, I killed everyone on
board. »
They
all stared at him.
He
smiled : « Tragic...But sacrifices are needed in a
war. »
«
What the hell is he talking about ? » Stevenson asked,
to no one in particular.
«
A war, mister Stevenson. » said the doctor. « A war against
the ones who are just as powerful as the Borg. »
«
Am I supposed to be surprised you know my name ? »
Stevenson asked. « Well I'll tell you something : I am
surprised. Does that make you happy ? »
«
Shut up, Stevenson. » Burnel grunted.
Wilkins
was grinning : « You are a hilarious lot, aren't you.
»
«
What are you doing, doctor ? » asked Sutter.
«
I am trying to rid the Federation of a terrible threat. » he said.
«
What threat ? » she asked.
«
The threat of the worlds who do not join us ! » he
said.
«
Like this planet. » said Mantion.
«
Precisely. » he smiled. « They are just a scourge among the stars. They serve
no useful purpose if they are not part of the Federation. Just
a planet, for decoration. »
«
Why do you think that ? » she asked.
He
laughed aloud : « Do you not see what you are part of
? The joining of thousands of worlds ! The Federation
is the most amazing thing in the universe ! » he
raised his arms. « The Federation grows, expands unendingly !
It is the future of the universe, and the future of the universe cannot be
attained if ridiculous planets like this one whose xenophobia keeps them from
growing. These planets must be destroyed for our ultimate goal to be achieved.
»
Stevenson
sighed and whispered to the others : « You know what,
you might not have noticed...But I think he's insane. »
«
So, if I understand well. » Tarses said. « You are going to annihilate everyone
on this planet with the viruses you stole from the Watan.
»
The
doctor smiled : « Not all the viruses. Just that one. »he pointed at a silver cylinder at the
opposite side of the room. He was pointing his rifle at it.
«
What's that ? » asked Burnel, standing her arms
crossed.
«
That, my dear, is Eltian Black Death. » said the
doctor, smiling.
Sutter
looked at Tarses, she thought he was going to faint.
«
What exactly is 'Eltian Black Death' » asked Stevenson,
not sure he wanted an answer.
«
This virus, is the most killer virus known to the
galaxy. It can decimate the population of a normal M-class world in a matter of
minutes. »
«
Yeah...yeah...And I'm the Starship Enterprise.
» said Stevenson, doubtfully.
«
You doubt me, commander ? » the doctor said. « But I'm
not sure you would enjoy a demonstration. Perhaps a verbal description will do.
»
Stevenson
frowned.
«
First, the virus is airborne. It can propagate and replicate at great speed. It
enters the victim's body through the respiratory routes. It then attacks the
subcutaneous fibers that keep our muscles and our
skin well aligned, soon, the body is weakened and the virus can take control of
the vital organs. Surfing on the red blood cells. In a
matter of thirty seconds, the victim has no more cutaneous
cohesion on his hands, feet and face, and soon enough, the organs literally
melt. Leaving nothing but a pile of dust for the wind to
carry. »
«
Marvellous. » Burnel said.
Sutter
raised her phaser.
Wilkins
rose his hand : « If you shoot me. I will destroy that
container. The virus samples will rise from their cold-induced sleep and will
destroy the planet. »
«
Isn't that what you want anyway ? » asked Stevenson.
«
Yes...But I am giving you a chance to leave...To go back to your starship. Before apocalypse comes down
upon this planet. » he said.
«
You'll die too. » said Burnel.
«
No I won't. » he grinned. He touched his belt and a shimmering field appeared
around him. « This is a life-support field. »
«
Impossible. » said Mantion. « They were put out of service for technical
problems. People died in space because the fields malfunctioned. »
«
Yes, but this field has been specially modified. Like my holographic projector
that you discovered. I am a scientist. I know science. »
No
one said anything for a few moments.
«
Well commander ? » the doctor asked. « Will you leave ? I will kill you if I have to, although I don't want
to. After all... » he grinned. «...we're on the same
side. »
Burnel
lunged for the cylinder.
Sutter
fired her phaser.
The
blast from the doctor's phaser rifle came one millisecond later.
« Eskina. Open a channel to the away-team. » said Kline.
«
Channel open. » said the cryptologist.
«
Sutter, do you read ? » Kline said.
No
response.
«
What the hell is happening down there ? » Kline
grunted.
«
I hope they're all right. » said Eskina.