The beginning...

Posted on Thu Apr 3rd, 2025 @ 11:07pm by Lieutenant Patrick Ryan M.D.

378 words; about a 2 minute read

Mission: A Silence of Friends

Patrick was the first to notice an anomaly in the lab results of several scientists admitted to sickbay. The team had recently returned from an expedition to Guran III, reporting mild flu-like symptoms that rapidly worsened. Their initial scans showed signs of progressive neurological degeneration, but no known pathogen matched their symptoms.

Patrick, already feeling a mild fever himself, worked tirelessly alongside his medical team, searching for answers. As he sifted through bio-readings, he found a common marker—a strange, dormant spore-like structure in their bloodstream. It appeared inert at first but showed inexplicable interactions with certain Vulcanoid and Betazoid genetic sequences. The scientists had no direct relation to each other beyond their expedition, yet all exhibited similar cellular degradation.

Fatigue gnawed at him as he analyzed the data, his fingers trembling slightly—whether from exhaustion or the stress of the situation, he couldn’t be sure. He cross-referenced the findings with classified Starfleet xenobiology reports. The results were troubling—trace elements of an unknown pathogen similar to extinct viral strains found in ancient Gurani artifacts. Realizing the potential for an unidentified airborne contagion, he ordered immediate containment protocols and alerted Starfleet Medical for urgent analysis.

"We may have just uncovered something that should’ve remained buried," Patrick muttered, rubbing his temples as dizziness set in. He pushed past the growing haze in his mind. There was still time—if they could work fast enough.

Thus far, the infection appeared contained to the expedition members, with no reports of symptoms among the Thunderbird’s crew. However, some of the scientists, including Dr. Rush, were deteriorating faster than others. Dr. Rush had already slipped into a near-comatose state, his brain activity spiking in erratic waves, while others still maintained some lucidity despite worsening tremors.

Desperate for answers, Patrick turned to the expedition's logs. They had explored the ruins of an ancient Gurani temple, untouched for thousands of years. One of the scientists, Dr. Liora Vashti, had noted strange carvings on the temple walls, depicting humanoid figures in agony, their eyes blackened as if consumed from within. A warning? Or a record of past victims?

A new alert chimed from the bio-monitor. Patrick’s heart pounded as he read the data. The spores weren’t just spreading—they were awakening.

 

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