Tentaclees (Part 1 of 2)

Posted on 17 Aug 2025 @ 2:28pm by Commander Morgan Tarin & Lieutenant JG Delainey Carlisle & Lieutenant JG Nusien & Ensign Amanda Turell & Chief Petty Officer Katja Becker & Petty Officer 1st Class T'Lin

3,821 words; about a 19 minute read

Mission: Episode 21 - Helix
Location: USS Galileo-A - Deck 3, Multi-Purpose Lab
Timeline: MD 07, 0630 hrs

[ON]

The combined boot steps of Commander Morgan Tarin and Ensign Amanda Turell softly thudded across the deck plating's carpet while the two officers traversed the small corridors of Galileo en route to one of the science laboratories which contained their uninvited guest. It wasn't a long journey from deck 2 to deck 3, but it was an apprehensive one during which the captain silently weighed her lack of scientific curiosity directly against her duty as both a Federation representative and the ship's commanding officer.

The tall female officer duo rounded the corner after exiting the turbolift and approached the single-door entrance to their destination. Tarin stopped short for a brief moment then turned to her yellow-collared colleague. "Is your phaser re-charged?"

Quickly drawing her Type II Amanda rechecked it. "98% Sir, should be plenty, can grab my rifle if we need it." She replied, given how the creatures hide had reacted to the sidearm her rifle would be more powerful.

Tarin held a low hand out with her palm faced to the deck. The accompanying head shake was enough of a reply to relay her thoughts on the subject. "Not yet. It's a tentacle, not a Tholian. But stay vigilant." She took a deep breath, tugged on the front of her uniform jacket, then stepped forward through the science lab's door which hissed open then shut behind the two officers.

Becker looked over to the door and saw the captain and Ensign Turell stride into the science lab. There was an sudden static - electrical sound as the containment field fluctuated suddenly, hinting that it might not be strong enough to contain the rather perturbed appendage. She glanced over to the Vulcan scientist to gauge her response - and whether additional concern was currently warranted. Problem was, Vulcans were particularly tricky to read.

"It doesn't appear to approve of it's current accommodations, sir." Katja said by way of greetings.

"Indeed, neither would any of us considering that it is out of its accustomed element. I find it remarkable that considering it is detached from the main body that it has such independent ability. My only fear is that would indicate that it might have the ability to regenerate a new specimen from this appendage. Thus, it is likely hungry, needing the energy to do so. The aggression might thus intensify. We have approximately another five percent left to maximum on the containment field," T'Lin gave her assessment.

"Hmm...remarkable. Yes..." Tarin muttered while walking further into the lab and slowly inspecting the sub-aquatic life form. Her hands and long fingers clasped together behind her back while she intently gazed upon the large severed tentacle tip and circled its confinement chamber. The creature appeared dry and weak - outside of its element. "Is it sentient? Any attempt to communicate with either of you?"

"Unknown if sentient. The only communication that I would say has been attempted is to attempt to consume one or both of us." T'Lin mused.

"Probably the both of us. We took it from it's intended target, one gigantic Klingon. I don't think--" Her comment was cut off as the giant piece-o-creature hissed and slammed it's opened orifice with rows of razor sharp teeth against the containment field causing it to make a 'sparking' sound as it struggled against the sudden 'attack.'

The moment the tentacle slammed itself against the forcefield Amanda's hand went to the hilt of her phaser, after a few moments she realised it wasn't going to get through it for now she relaxed slightly but kept her hand on it.

"It's aggressive," Tarin dryly commented while stating the obvious. "And large." Her hand extended to point toward what she surmised was a severing wound at the larger end of its form. "A piece of a larger organism we inadvertently captured during the emergency transport? This...'tentacle' doesn't even appear to be the entirety of an appendage. What are we working with, here?"

"We have not had the time to make a formal assessment, captain," T'Lin replied dryly. "That the appendage is operating virtually independently would speak to a decentralized organism and one that I am speculating may have regenerative powers. If the later, it will most likely renew its hope to escape as it will need to feed to draw more energy for that."

Tarin crossed her arms over her chest then came to a stop while facing the foreign specimen. "It's confined, of course it wants to escape. But if it operates independently and might 'grow', then we must assume it is it's own biological entity, detached or not. Am I mistaken to surmise it needs water to survive?"

Katja wondered at the ongoing concern about the hunk-o-horror's comfort when she watched the thing eat chunks out of Hovar and the nameless person they had beamed up with the thing. However, the cap'n asked a question... "It seems to be doing alright without it currently. I mean sure...it does appear to be desiccating slightly..."

Katja flipped open the medical tricorder she had forgotten she had on her person and scanned the tentacle. "I don't know what to make of the scans though. I do know I hypo'd it with enough drugs to down a Jem'Hadar, and it doesn't seemed to have impaired it at all."

The captain's hazel eyes shifted away from the creature and down toward an inconspicuous corner of the science lab while pondering the information available to her. "This piece of life - whatever it is - apparently lives on Enus V where we're preparing to conduct operations. It'd be in our best interests to fully understand this creature in light of our current orders to investigate the sub-aquatic station." Tarin half-spoke to the Medical chief petty officer and half to the Security and Science officers present in the room with her. Her hands then unfolded from her chest allowing one set of fingers to tap her commbadge.

"Tarin to Sickbay, report to Science Lab 1 immediately," came her next order. Once the chirp ceased, she refocused her attention on Becker and T'Lin. "We need a more thorough evaluation of our 'guest'. You sedated it but it still appears active enough to consume any one of us if it has the chance. I don't like this threat."

Katja frowned as the tentacle slammed the end of it's meaty appendage against the field again as if taunting all of them...at least that was the story she was telling herself. "We can always try anesthetic gas? Perhaps that could put it down so we can do something with it other than watch it fantasize about chewing off our tender bits."

"Might I remind everyone while we have some idea of basic biology, we don't have a full understanding. Gas or other anesthetics could result in a condition that would harm the organism. Perhaps a better approach would be to feed it. Such a course may calm it down enough to allow us to strengthen the field and obtain a better idea of its biochemistry." T'Lin waved a nearly white hand at the thing. "It does make me wonder if this is the apex predator on the planet and if not, what other organisms might be awaiting. Perhaps might explain why the station is not responding."

Katja looked at the Vulcan woman aghast at her suggestion, but she did not give voice to the thoughts in her mind. They were more along the line of spacing the damned thing.

"You think?" Ok. So a small quip was inevitable. Katja couldn't help herself. "With respect, you did not see what this piece of creature was able to accomplish without water or pressure or the rest of it's body. Captain, I recommend neutralization so this 'piece' can be safely evaluated."

The last thing Delainey wanted to do was leave sickbay and Hovar, but she knew the rest of the staff would do all they could to see to his comfort and well-being. She was at a loss as to how to save him and begrudgingly knew time away could be beneficial for her cause all around. She also couldn't deny she was more than a little curious about why she was being summoned.

Entering the science lab, she took a steadying breath as soon as she saw the thing that had given them all such a fright. Containment field be damned, the memories were still too fresh.

Nusien had studied his patient in every way he could. At the moment he had no real answer on how to save Hovar's life. When the summons from the Captain came Nusien made the decision to place Hovar in stasis. It was the correct diagnostic protocol. He would leave the Klingon in stasis alive, until they can find a way to save him.

Nusien arrived at the Science lab about ten minutes after the summons. It seemed that the science team had perhaps just what was needed to save Hovar, a living specimen. "Captain. What can I do for you?"

The opening and closing hisses of the multi-purpose lab's doors forced Tarin to remove her eyes from the specimen and take note of the two new blue-collared officers who'd timely joined the debate. "Counselor. Doctor," she acknowledged both with a single curt chin nod. "Meet our new specimen - I'm designating it 'Tentaclees' for now," she gestured to the large confinement chamber and the equally-robust alien tentacle tip contained within. "Chief Becker, Petty Officer T'Lin and I were just discussing possible ways to study this specimen. It's obviously aggressive in nature but so far hasn't communicated in any measure we can evaluate...aside from displaying feeding behavior. Becker, here, is proposing 'neutralizing' it with airborne anesthetics, but T'Lin suggests tending to its consumption needs and feeding it to promote placation. Your thoughts and analyses? What are we dealing with here? What type of life form is this? And how is our chaplain?"

Nusien decided to address the question about Hovar first as in his mind it was the easier of the two questions that the Captain asked. "Lieutenant Kov has an unknown parasite that has latched onto his brain stem. At the moment if the parasite is removed he will die. I have placed him in stasis alive and in stable condition until we can learn more about this parasite. It is possible that the parasite is somehow linked to this specimen as Hovar was in combat with a being such as this before coming to Sick Bay."

Nusien paused to regard the specimen in the lab. After a short moment of silence and thought he continued. "I would agree with Chief Becker. Placing this creature under sedation and then scanning and observing its anatomy and how its internal systems operate would allow us to learn volumes about it. It could also save the Chaplain's life. After the procedure we could then feed the creature in order to promote placation."

Delainey nodded. "That seems a fair compromise. No matter what Tentaclees has done and to whom, we still have an obligation to offer the treatment we'd offer to any other lifeform. I'm not sure we can know what will truly placate in this case, but in the meantime, we also must learn all we can." As concerned as she was for Hovar, Carlisle knew it would be irrational to hold a grudge against another lifeform or a partial lifeform, who for all she knew, had behaved exactly as it was designed to behave under the circumstances.

T'Lin was a xenobiologist by training, and though the lowest-ranked person here, she had to speak up. "Before we decide to anesthetize the creature, we need to make sure whatever you plan is compatible with its biochemistry. I am a xenobiologist and would offer I am best to determine if there will be a problem or not."

Warring emotions permeated Tarin's thoughts following the tripod-legged Edosian's briefing and assessment. Hovar, the esoteric chaplain who she'd conflicted with in private most recently, was at risk of dying. An unintended result of her orders to initiate transport yet one she was still ultimately responsible for. And now the key the his survival might very well lay with this abominable sea predator they'd inadvertently recovered.

The captain crossed her arms above her bosom then bit her bottom lip in deep thought while weighing the counselor's endorsement against her own ethical directives pertaining to foreign life. "This is a first contact situation," she informed the surrounding group, "hostile or otherwise. Since we can't determine this creature's sentience, we must assume it before proceeding. But...it's severely injured one of our officers and did the same to our colleagues down on Enus Station."

One of Tarin's hands reached up to her chin which it stroked the bottom of the skin present. Her hazel eyes trained back to the security officer, then to the chief petty officer. "Both of you were in the transporter room; you've seen what it can do. Is this an acceptable risk, in your opinions? If sedation fails, we'll have another incident on our hands and potentially lose another crew member..."

Nusien turned to T'Lin. "Petty Officer I would welcome your input as we determine what would be the best medication to sedate with. Should the Captain give the go ahead."

This had all the makings of a really bad idea. Katja could just feel it. "Given the thing is this predatory outside of it's native environment, I say let's stop debating it and just do it. It's taken everything we've thrown at it so far - but if it has muscles and/or a nervous system, one of the cocktail of anesthetics will affect it...hopefully."

Nusien agreed with Katja. However, unless lives were in danger he still needed the Captain's authorization. So, He remained silent and awaited the order. Although he did begin the calculations of possible medications to give in his head.

"If the fluids have not been completely cleaned and destroyed I can begin to get an idea of the biochemistry." T'Lin glanced over at the creature. "Unless someone wishes to volunteer to take a fresh sample."

A muted huff sounded from Tarin's flared nostrils. They were committed to the task, now, it seemed. The final proposition was one which she was readily able to delegate. "Proceed." Her attention snapped to the blond blue-collared counselor in the room. "Carlisle, I want you to collect the sample. You have a way with people that hopefully translates to this life form. Turell and I will stand guard while the rest of you assist her. Begin, now."

Good with people? Delainey had spoken to Tarin one on one exactly once so far, so she wasn't inclined to accept the flattery at face value. Carlisle had also been in the transporter room with the others and she knew with absolute certainty Tentaclees would have attacked her and everyone else just as readily if Hovar hadn't intervened. Hell, it had attacked others and she had stabbed the lifeform with hypos just as aggressively as Katja, so she didn't have hope Tentaclees' memory was as short as was required. Her next thought was to question the characterization of Tentaclees as a person at all - a lifeform to be treated as such, yes, but a person?

They had no idea who or what they were dealing with, and current observation made it clear the only thing standing between them and another round of life or death battles was a crackling containment field that up close, suddenly didn't seem that strong. Delainey had been ordered not just to get close to Tentaclees, but to take a *piece* of him (her? it?) with her.

The counselor wondered briefly if the Captain was presenting her with her own test of sorts, a la Mount Tarin, taking advantage of an opportunity. That made her think of her last conversation with Hovar, and before she knew it, she was squaring her shoulders and reaching for her instruments. She kept them concealed behind her back in one hand and offered, "I'm not sure what help you all can offer. I think I should do this myself, you guys. More of you coming at Tentaclees seems like a bad idea."

Looking directly at Tentaclees and the forcefield, Carlisle nodded, "Drop it, please."

"I shall not need more than a few cubic centimeters," T'Lin noted.

Delainey nodded, but kept her eyes on Tentaclees. It would take a nano-second for the being to grab her no matter how much tissue was required, and if that happened, she had no reason to think it wouldn't be the end of her, whether now or later.

The forcefield lowered and she might have immediately aimed for Tentaclees, but gut instinct told her not to, at least not right away. Instead, she spoke aloud, softly, barely above a whisper. She moved her empty hand slowly forward, not quite touching it, but trying to be non-threatening. "We're not here to hurt you. We just want to understand you."

It was a risky proposition, putting one's hand toward a creature which - by all recent accounts - possessed no regard for humanoid life. The tentacle tip slithered forward while the musculature in its thick epidermis rippled. Then it raised itself as high as it could within the confines of the containment chamber. An audible liquid hiss followed just before it spread its anterior wide open in a display of prowess to reveal the menacing double-rows of moisturous fangs and multiple simple eyes lining its form. Its form shimmied again before suddenly striking out to snap at the counselor's arm in a demonstrative display. The tentacle missed by mere centimeters before it recoiled back into its previous posture. A simple misjudgement of distance? Or a non-verbal form of communication?

"Alright, I have to ask..." Katja began softly, shifting her weight forward onto her good leg, she moved closer to the alien appendage. She deftly palmed the hypospray already loaded with enough anesthesia and paralytics to down this thing...this needed to work. "Is anyone else getting Cthulu vibes from this thing or have I indulged in one too many Lovecraftian novels?" It was irreverent, yes, but this was one of the most insane experiences of Katja's life, and that was saying something.

"Nice and slow, L-T. Keep talking to it sweet-like, and I'll hit it with the anesthetic from the side."

Carlisle‘s initial instinct was to refuse the assistance, no matter how well intended. She still had every intention of taking the tissue sample, she just didn’t want to start off by aggressively, taking a piece of the creature without any attempt at communication.

“I appreciate the thought, chief, but no sense getting our friend angry with you too. I’ve got the hypo ready to take the sample, and I’ll do that along with talking sweetly.“ The counselor spoke with a sense of calmness. She didn’t truly feel on the inside, but then again, there was a sense of peace, knowing there were more stupid ways to die.

She spoke again, this time a bit louder, but still with an even tone directed at the creature. “I get it. You want to let me know you could kill me if you chose. Thanks for not doing that, by the way. You may decide to kill me anyway, but if you do, please make it quick.“ Before she finished her sentence, the instrument came out from behind her back and before long, she had pierced its skin, extracting a tissue sample as quickly as she dared. Carlisle forced herself to look the creature as she did so. If this was the last thing she ever did, she was damn sure going to do it correctly.

T'Lin didn't want to do this, but she rubbed her hands together and then held them out and intoned, "Your mind to my mind...your thoughts to my thoughts...we are one." She figured that if she could meld with whatever was controlling this thing, perhaps to keep it from attacking.

The simple extraction of flesh was quick and uneventful, even possibly unnoticed by the tentacle entity which perceived no sensation of distress or pain in its nervous system. The words the counselor spoke to it were undecipherable, but the body language of the blue-collared prey demonstrated subservience - non-threatening placation. But suddenly there was more. A close echo of psionic energy attempted to enter its consciousness without invitation or permission. It was fleeting in its intensity but the origin was identifiable in the blond-haired science officer. The taller one, with the pointed auditory organs. The new threat.

The tentacle suddenly closed its orifice then darted out of the confinement chamber in one swift, wiggling movement of its large and slithering body. Unseen sensory organs directed it toward the Vulcan scientist, and within a matter of seconds, it slowed then rose itself high in front of T'Lin. Once again, its anterior snapped open to present many rows of foreign saliva-dripping fangs and eyes, but this time, its intentions appeared more sinister. It began to tremble with anticipation while the top rows of the leading eyes closed to protect themselves from damage during the feeding process. Though similar in appearance, this was not a threat posture...it was a precursor to attack.

T'Lin stood her ground. While the meld didn't go as she had hoped it would, it proved that the nervous system was functioning good enough and instead she prepared to use Tal-Shaya, the deadly Vulcan martial art.

"Petty Officer, get back!" yelled Tarin who now tracked her phaser at the creature while attempting to clear her firing lane. Apparently leaving well-enough alone wasn't enough, and the Vulcan's ambitions were producing a most undesirable result. "Turell, prepare to fire on my command!"

Amanda's phaser hadn't left her hand from the moment she'd arrived in the room, she'd watched the creature the entire time the scientists were fawning over it. When they had decided to drop the forcefield the adrenaline started to course through her body again knowing what the creature was capable of. The second it began to move out of the containment chamber her hand snapped upwards into a firing position, her finger primed to depress the firing stud and shoot it with the highest stun setting the Type II was capable of.

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

--

CMDR Morgan Tarin
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo-A

LTJG Delainey Carlisle
Chief Counselor
USS Galileo-A

LTJG Nusien
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo-A

ENS Amanda Turell
Security Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Mimi]

CPO Katja Becker
Medical Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC M'Lyr'Zor]

PO1 T'Lin
Science Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Warraquim]

Alien Tentacle Tip (Tentaclees)
Unknown Lifeform
[NPC Tarin]

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