Nothing goes to plan

Posted on Thu Mar 3rd, 2022 @ 4:08pm by Lieutenant Commander Savin & Lieutenant Commander Michael Ki

Mission: With Gleaming Eyes
Location: Planet side hospital, hidden ward
Timeline: MD3, 1400 hours
2562 words - 5.1 OF Standard Post Measure

Old
"Ki, this is Savin.... I may have found what we need. Meet me in decon."

New
Savin continued to walk around, quietly gathering a few samples here and there from the dead and the dying. He continued to offer words of comfort for those he felt that might still hear him. He wondered why transport was taking so long, surely it was easy enough to transport him straight into the decon chamber? "Doctor Ki, please acknowledge," he called when a few minutes had passed and nothing had happened.

The longer he stayed here, the greater the chance of being discovered. And the last thing he wanted, was for the Metis nurse to get any trouble over his presence in a ward where he really shouldn't be.

Gil Ragnar had been on his patrols of the Metis medical ward as ordered. This was the third, or was it the fourth time that he was making his way through this facility of filth. He felt that there was no reason to be there. If these Metis wanted to kill each other, or what have you then so be it. Why should he stop them. So you could understand his surprise when he turned the corner and found a Romulan standing there. He raised his rifle. "Who are you? What are you doing in this restricted area?"

Savin froze as he stood face to face with the Cardassian, staring in the barrel of a rifle. As he had his eyes on the rifle, the spoken words had gone unnoticed. "Ki, now would be a good time!" he called out over the open comm line, while slowly raising his hands to show he was unarmed. He wondered where in this gown he would have to hide any weapons to begin with, it didn't even seem to have any pockets. All he had was his Starfleet issue tricorder, and the few samples he had taken from the dead and dying.

"Answer the question Romulan. Who are you and what are you doing in this restricted area?" He smirked as he lowered the rifle a small amount. Ragnar was still ready to fire should he have to, it was just that he no longer thought he would have to. "Your friends can't save you. We have a field in place it prevents communications. Would hate for these Metis to get out of line."

Now that he was aware of being spoken to, it was somewhat easier to understand. "I am Lieutenant Commander Savin, chief counselor of the USS Athena, and I am here to help these poor people." He arched a single eyebrow. "And how do you propose these poor people would get rout of line?"

"By not doing what they are told..." Ragnar harrumphed. "Great Starfleet... You have no business here mettling in affairs that have nothing to do with you. Come with me and we will let you return to your ship after some brief questioning." He motioned for Savin to start walking down the corridor.

Adjusting his mask, Savin started to walk, albeit slowly so he could still see his captor. He hoped the comm line remained open and that somehow someone on the other hand would catch on. "And who are you to dominate these poor people?" He challenged, "who are you to decide what they can and cannot do, or to even deny them proper medical care?"

"We are better than them in every way, and this is our world. Don't you people have a practice of non interference. Now get in the lift." The lumbering Ragnar shoved Savin slightly into the lift. The Cardassian had begun to get annoyed with Savin's questioning.

It was a good thing Savin had turned to face his captor after stumbling inside, otherwise he would've missed the last part. "And how are you better and this is not your world. Our records show the Metis are the indiginous people to this planet, and we have been sent to give assistance in dealing with this plague." At least, this was insofar Savin had any knowledge on the situation. "Our prime directive does not apply, when we are asked to offer assistance."

"Your records are wrong and walking through a restricted area is not assisting with a plague..." Ragnar growled. He was cut short by the sound of a transporter beam. Dr Michael Ki had been waiting to hear from Savin, he needed the samples that Savin collected to go ahead with the experimentation for a cure. However, no matter how hard he tried he could not get through. Suddenly, the comm channel cleared and Ki heard a voice yell at Savin. Michael was a doctor not an engineer so he had no idea why the transporter would not lock on Savin, but he was able to get a lock and the samples and beamed them away.

"Gathering information to effectively search for a cure is assisting with a plague." Savin didn't hear the transport but he did notice the disappearance of the gathered samples from his pockets, as well as the disappearance of his tricorder which contained valuable data. He did wonder, however, why he himself wasn't whisked away. He stopped walking and cast his captor a curious and somewhat expectant look, but he didn't comment further. He wondered what would happen now.

Once they were in the lift Ragnar looked around to see if there were any more Starfleet officers around. Seeing that there were none, he now wondered what was just transported away. After he keyed in a command into the lift's controls he spoke again. "What was just transported from you? I know it must have been something on your person." He spoke with a small amount of hatred in his voice as he leveled his rifle again. Anyone who would want to help the Metis was someone who was beneath a Cardassian, at least that was how it was in Ragnar's mind.

While unheard, Savin did sense the venom and could tell from the Cardassian's disdainful expression. "Possibly my tricorder," he replied, not even mentioning the samples he had hidden priorly and which were now safe in sickbay. He made a show of patting down his gown. "Yes, it seems to have been my tricorder." He cast the man a casual smile, as if he didn't have a care in the world about it. Still, he didn't want to antagonize him too much, just in case. After all, he still had a weapon trained on him. "The chief medical officer was waiting for my data, which he now has in his possession. So... what happens now? Am I a prisoner, or am I free to go." He hoped Ki was still listening in and that his words might trigger a response of some sort.

Ragnar was not sure what to do, he knew that they did not want trouble with Starfleet. However, he had to know what this officer found that was important. Why they were snooping around on this level. "You will come with me and once my Commander is satisfied you will be returned to your people." He snarled as he redirected the lift to another level. Ragnar realized that he did not have to make this decision. He could leave it for his superior officer to decide.

When the lift stopped, Savin walked out on his own accord and waited for his guard to follow. "And what if I cannot give him the answers he desires?" he queried carefully, "I do not know everything,. I have taken readings of the patients, in the hope of aiding in finding a cure to this terrible illness, which now also affects our own people. These readings were on my tricorder, which seems to have gotten transported, without me."

Ragnar chose not to respond. He was sickened by Starfleet's grousing. Instead he shoved the Counselor down the corridor toward the door to the CO's office and once inside Ragnar came to attention. "Legate Velour I found this one snooping around the Metis. He says that his scanning equipment was transported away but not him." The look on Ragnar's face was incredulous.

Legate Mirna Velour rose from behind her desk to her full height of six foot eight inches. "Ragnar you are dismissed and leave the prisoner with me." When Ragnar left Mirna looked directly into Savin's eyes. "Please have a seat, this should not take long. Is there anything that I can get you?"

The Romulan counselor blinked in surprise, the emotion clear on his face as he sat down upon the invitation. "A uniform?" he queried carefully as he rearranged the robes around him. "Other than that no ma'am I do not have any requirements other than to be returned to my ship." He paused, holding the woman's gaze as he sized her up. "My teammates will, unquestionably, come looking for me since I was not transported back."

Mirna squinted for a moment, as she ran the scenario in her head. She came to the conclusion that catching more flies with honey would apply here. The tall Cardassian woman replicated a Starfleet uniform in blue and handed it to the Counselor. "Here you go. I believe the first order of business will be to allow you to get dressed. Then we can discuss your return to your people, and anything else that goes with it. I shall turn around, kindly speak up when you are done." Mirna began to read over reports and the MSD that was behind her desk, her back now to Savin. Of course the Cardassian had no intention of returning him right away. This opportunity was too good to pass up.

"Thank you." Watching her turn, Savin made quick work of putting on the fresh uniform, which did make him feel more proper. He did expect to be quarantined and put through decon upon his return and he did wonder why the Cardasssian didn't seem to concerned about infection. As he returned to the assigned seat, he took a few seconds longer to study her. "Are you not concerned about being infected, given that I was just in contact with some very ill patients?" he asked, almost pointedly now.

"The short answer is no... I am not concerned at all. Whatever is effecting them. Seems to only effect the Metis and hybrid species intensely. If you are pure of your species then, while you may get sick, you will not get too sick. So I am not worried. Now that I have answered a question for you I think it time you answer one of mine. Why may I ask were you in a restricted area? I know that you were collecting data for this alleged cure you and your people are working on. However, even that important work would not allow you to simply walk into our restricted areas." Mirna continued the policy of killing him with kindness. She would decide what would happen to Savin once she had all the information that she required.

"I am pure blood," Savin provided. "I found an access key and since there were very ill patients, I would be derelict in my duty if I did not seek to help." He still held her gaze as he spoke. "It is not alleged, and I am certain my commanding officer would be willing to share the results. These people need help and it is our duty to provide it."

"While all of that may be so, important work or no, I believe your Starfleet regulations require you to adhere to the laws and customs of other species that you come in contact with. So since you found an access key by my logic and interpretation of your regulations you should have turned it in. At the very least you should have asked permission to enter the area that you did regardless of ill patients. A simple courtesy is all we ask... After all if roles were reversed and I was aboard your vessel would I be allowed to waltz into off limits areas without clearance?" Mirna was sure that the Romulan would understand the point she made. "Now I know that you and your people do not think much of what we are doing here. I must ask, what if anything did you learn while you roamed an off limits area?"

"I found patients that were lacking decent care," Savin answered grimly, "patients that were hidden away, as if we were not to see and help them. On a planet, that is as far as we know, theirs and not yours. As soon as my data is processed, I would of course gladly share my findings with you. Were the roles reversed, you would not even be given the opportunity to get into restricted areas unaccompanied. However this is a hospital, and no patient should be restricted from access to medical care."

"They were not hidden away, and they are receiving medical care. You say it is sub standard, by whose standards... Yours? The mighty Federation's? You made a great point just now. You said 'as far as we know, theirs and not yours.' Did it occur to you to ask? No of course not... because all Starfleet does is assume that you are correct and everyone else is wrong and therefore the villain. Just because, you and your people are not granted access to treat certain patients does not mean that they are not receiving care. You were not to see them, because you were not to help them, because we do not wish you to help them...." Mirna had been practically ranting. She was angry, but hid the anger well. She sighed heavily. "Look, you may not like what we are doing here, but you have no authority to interfere." Velour did not want them to see the restricted patients, as if Starfleet found out that they were trying to use this virus as a weapon there would be an entirely new set of headaches.

"They are not yours to hide, nor is it for you to decide who can or cannot help them," Savin answered stiffly. "If this is all, I would like to return to my team members."

Mirna could tell that no matter what she said she would not get through to this Starfleet Officer. "As you wish... I will make the arrangements to have you returned to your ship and crew. I believe some of your people are on the surface working on the virus if I am not mistaken."

"They are," Savin answered. "Thank you, that is much appreciated. Again, if we do find anything I am certain our findings will be shared with you."

Mirna summoned Ragnar back to the office. "Ragnar please escort Mr Savin out and see that he is brought back to his shipmates."

Ragnar punched his chest and bowed his head in deference of the senior officer. "Yes ma'am." He pointed toward the door for Savin to lead the way out.

By leading the way however, Savin wasn't privy to what might go on behind him. Giving the female Cardassian a final nod, he preceded the guard out, grateful that he was actually returned to the others. And more than surprised, that he'd been treated so well, it was clearly not what he had expected.