A Fourteen-Year Nap - Part I

Posted on 13 Aug 2012 @ 2:08pm by Amril & Lieutenant Commander Pola Ni Dhuinn M.D. & Lieutenant Theron Rhodes & Lieutenant Aria Rice & EMH Mark X-C "Shirley"

2,276 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Episode 01 - Project Sienna
Location: USS Galileo - Sickbay
Timeline: MD09: 0345 hours

[ON]

It had taken some time, in fact, it had taken a lot of time, for the EMH to work his way through each and every one of the tubules and connectors that were riddled throughout the Vorta's body and remove them, there had been far more than the hologram had anticipated, but they seemed to have done a very good job of maintaining the Vorta's physiology for what seemed to have been a relatively long time.

"Mr. Varek, assist me!" The hologram called out, knowing full well that it was about time to wake up their guest, rather than allow him to continue his rather restful looking sleep.

"Doctor?" Varek approached, still not sure what to make of their new guest, despite the hologram's explanation.

"Prepare a hypospray with 20cc's of cordrazine... that should be enough to bring our patient back to the world of the waking."

"Would it not be advisable to first inform the bridge?" Varek asked, removing the vial that had been left in the hypospray and replacing it with the cordrazine.

Ensign Rhodes stood next to the wall with his arms crossed not far from the biobed. He felt very out of place at the moment with everything taking place.

Walking into the sickbay at a brisk pace, Pola's face showed thunder. Despite how long ago the Dominan war was, the memories still lived on of the thousands of lives lost and here today, there had almost been more killed. Under her watch. To say she was unhappy was an understatement. "I want a report now!" Grabbing a PADD as she entered sickbay, she used her own CMO to also access the patient file.

Seeing Pola arrive, Varek got the vial ready to inject in the alien's neck. "His condition is stable enough for him to be revived," the vulcan announced. "Shall I do so?"

"Well..." nodding towards the arrival of his crewmates, "No time like the present" The EMH confirmed as he directed the Vulcan to proceed.

Ensign Rhodes motioned for two of his security team to move closer. They stepped up, but stayed back out of the Physician's way.

The cordrazine did not seem to work at first. They waited. At last, Varek suggested, "Doctor, with their unusual physiology, it's possible another stimulant will be more effective..." he started to turn towards the hyopspray vials, "did you analyze the blue fluid in the tubes? It's possible that..."

The vorta's eyes had opened. Pale violet, they looked around searchingly. He tried to get up, found himself restrained, and turned his head. When he saw the Starfleet uniforms looming over him, he smiled slightly.

"Ah... Starfleet." The vorta said.

Rhodes reacted grabbing his phaser and holding it with both hand pointing down. It seemed just too odd for this creature to be so pleasent. 'Who knows what it could do,' he thought.

The vorta seemed unwilling to make a firm judgement about his thoughts on them. "I'd like to speak to your captain. It is a matter of some urgency..."

Ignoring his concerns, the vulcan medical officer was waving his tricorder probe over the vorta's face. "The cordrazine is having a partial effect," he said, "I am not sure what else it may be doing..."

"Ah, you don't know how to treat vorta, of course," the alien sounded groggy, as if he might slip back into unconsciousness, but oddly amused, "I don't suppose you have any devama instead?"

Varek hesitated and glanced at the EMH. He'd never heard of such a drug.

"Excuse me sir... but I am programmed with several million medical techniques, capable of treating all known species on Federation record including Vorta and even Jem'Hadar. Devama however.... isn't something in my database... I'm afraid I am not programmed with information directly from Dominion databases... can you... describe it?"

The EMH, had he been human, would have been offended that a patient who in all likelihood would have died without his intervention, had already tried to doubt his medical qualifications, however, every physician had room to learn.

"Oh, it's blue," the vorta replied. Then he gave a giggle.

"The cordrazine in his system is degrading I suspect, doctor," Varek said, "I could give him twenty-five cc's to keep him awake. But his systems may react unexpectedly." The biobed's primary sensor display did show erratic systems, but some were near acceptable levels known for vorta while others were not. Varek continued, "But if he is referring to the blue residue in the stasis tubes, perhaps we can replicate the substance."

"Stasis?" The vorta blinked dazedly. "Ah. Yes..."

"EMH check you database for Borathium, it's just left its experimental stages but it should work with this physiology. Varek replicate me the morathial series, we can use both in conjunction with each other and it will be sufficient in this case." Up to this point, Pola had remained silent in the background as she studied the file already composed from the scanners and the EMH's earlier work. Stepping forward, she loomed over the alien in question. "You asked to see who's in charge, right now I am."

"Borathium... yes... currently in final test trials at Jupiter Station... the molecular structure is in our database I believe... I can begin replication at once."

The EMH took only a few moments to access the correct portion of the database. It might have been an experimental drug, but so far it's test results had proven positive for cell regeneration in certain physiological conditions.

The alien struggled to get the words out, giving a soft gasp before he managed, "I... request... asylum..."

Watching the alien for a moment, Pola gave an indication for everyone to move back a little, except for the EMH who she needed to keep monitoring the vitals. "Varek... I need that morathial series now!" Keeping her own focus on the Vorta, Pola leaned back against the wall behind her, and casually crossed her arms across her abdomen. "Your ship almost cost all of us our lives... can you explain why we should grant you asylum and not just drop you off at your home world?"

"Starfleet regulation..." he murmured dizzily in reply.

"Doctor." Varek offered Pola a vial with the series she requested.

Taking the series, Pola tapped the hypo against the palm of her hand as she watched the Vorta who was watching her. She did not like being backed into a corner, not where this crew and ship were concerned. She knew that the what with the Dominan was over, but it didn't make her feel anymore at ease. "From what I see right now, you put this crew and this ship in danger, I'm fairly certain Starfleet would back me up on this... explain why we should grant you asylum."

The vorta gave a wheezing chuckle and Varek interjected. "Doctor, he should receive the hypospray immediately. Your... debate can be delayed for a few moments."

Ignoring Varek for a moment, Pola held off a few seconds before moving forward and pressing the hypospray against the alien's neck, leaving the vitals monitoring to the EMH. "I can stand here and do this all day... are you going to give us a sufficient explanation?" Even though this treatment went against her being a Doctor, she also remembered her talk with Jonathan. This crew and this ship were what was most important right now. This alien had already almost cost them all both, she wouldn't make a second mistake.

The vorta said nothing for a moment, as if waiting to see what effect the substance would have. At last, sounding a bit more clear-headed, he spoke. "I wasn't aware that Starfleet interrogated people in this manner. Your reputation as understanding people would seem inaccurate... but that is as the Founders warned. I suppose I should have known your ideals are put aside for your enemies..." He did not speak in a bitter or angry tone, but simply sounded resigned.

Leaning back again the wall, Pola listened to the words being spoken, remaining emotionless on the outside. "Au contraire my dear man... I'd say we've treated you pretty fairly. We could have beamed you out into space with your ship and allowed you to blow up, or we could have refused you medical attention instead of saving your life. The hypo I just gave you, all it's doing is keeping you conscious. Delaying giving it to you, causes you no more or no less pain."

"If you did," he countered, smiling at her disarmingly, "would that be something Starfleet would like? I am not sure what you want from me, doctor. If a vorta's presence is too much for you, I will wait for your commanding officer." With that, he closed his eyes as if to fall back into unconsciousness.

Aria watched them, taking a deeper breath. Not her business. She tried to tell herself that. Oh. Shoot. "Well, then you can continue your course of treatment, doctor?" she said, her eyes on the Vorta. "And get him better? He requested asylum..." she stepped forward, glancing over at Rhodes for a moment. "And that should count for something. The war is over. Things have changed."

The vorta's eye snapped open when Aria mentioned the war. "It's over?" he asked, "How long have I been in stasis?" Of course they had no way of knowing that, but they could give a good guess.

Ignoring the Vorta for the moment, Pola turned her focus on Aria. Under her breath she get her voice low, "Rhodes..." She left it at that knowing her meaning would be clear. This had nothing to do with the war, it had to do with a threat to this ship. If the Vorta's ship had been set to self destruct, what else could happen putting the USS Galileo and her crew at risk.

Rhodes became very concerned. He knew that vorta can and will say anthing in a pleasent and cooperative way to manipulate the situation to their benifit and to complete their aims. Before he could speak, Rice spoke up.

"War has been over for about 14 years," Aria said and met his eyes, searching them for a long moment as she moved closer. "A long time." She looked at Pola, her own features set stubbornly.

"The Dominion... lost?" He sounded skeptical.

Rhodes stepped forward saying, "I need you to comprehend the current situation. At this moment we do not know as a certainty what risk you present to our vessel, nor your intent." He waited a second and added, "Do you understand?"

"Oh, of course," the vorta replied agreeably.

Turning her focus back to the Vorta, Pola kept her low level tone. "We'll answer our questions as long as you answer ours. Why do you want asylum?"

"That is a question best asked by your captain."

Aria watched the Vorta for a long moment, taking a deeper breath. "I'm afraid that for now, you have to deal with us. I'm Aria... what is your name?" If it had been spoken, she had not heard it. And maybe, watching him, she felt... as if they should show themselves to be better than the Dominion had been. The war was long over now. She was sick to the back teeth of it, of the shadows that bit at people's heels. What they had here was a situation with a possible terrorist. And while the doctor's approach could work, Aria felt as if her humanity kept her from slipping into it. Or maybe it was stupidity. Regardless. This was the path she was taking and damned be the consequences.

"Ah, of course," the vorta said with the interminable pleasantness of his species, one of the characteristics that made them good diplomats. "Where are my manners? I know how you Starfleet are with your manners... my name is Amril, three. You're a security officer, aren't you?" He chuckled, "To think you are afraid of me. I'm not a Jem'Hadar. I think you can assure the good doctor that I'm unarmed and no threat to the ship, hm? Being all trussed up like this is rather uncomfortable and waking up from stasis always makes my nose itch..."

Rhodes heard exactly as expected. The vorta was providing a calming state about it, using word that disarm and capitulate.

Biting down on her tongue, Pola had to fight the urge to order Aria removed. She understood that her own behaviour was contradictory to how she usually was but she had this crew's blood on her hands, her decisions almost had them blown up. Looking across to Rhodes, she showed one finger to indicate to give Aria one minute and no more. She would not risk anyone else here and now.

Rhodes cleared his throat to get Rice's attention, and so not to give any information to the vorta.

Aria watched the Vorta before moving to his side. She touched his arm, meeting his eyes. "I am not afraid of you," she said gently. "But there's a lot of emotions going on here and to be honest, I don't like the tensions building. So... if you tell me what you want asylum from, I'll tell you what you've missed. No games."

"Why, I want asylum from the Dominion, of course," he replied as if they ought to know. Who else would a vorta owe allegiance too? "I've defected."

[TBC]

Amril
Vorta Defector
USS Galileo

&

Lieutenant JG Pola Ni Dhuinn
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

&

EMH Mk-X
Emergency Medical Hologram
USS Galileo

&

Ensign Varek
Medical Officer
USS Galileo

&

Ens. Theron Rhodes
Security/Tactical
USS Galileo

&

Ensign Aria Rice
Security Officer
USS Galileo

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