- , Mission #

"Stranded"

Summary, Mission #9

The Away Team have encountered what appear to be huge, vicious arachnoid creatures onboard the station, at the loss of their Chief Tactical Officer. Despite the fear the crew are likely experiencing, they are pushing on. Back onboard the Sentinel, some success has been found in neutralising the subspace 'webbing', but has it come in time? The spider are possibly already on the hull, looking for a way in.

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<XO_LtCmdr_Stradiot>

@::Stands at the entrance to Main Engineering:: ENG: Alright....get us in.

<ENG_Ens_shTolar>

@::taps at the entry padd, trying to bypass the security:: XO: Should be soon... ::still can't get the gore out of her head::

<NAV_LtCmdr_Marsland>

::in The Big Chair(tm)::

<XO_LtCmdr_Stradiot>

@::Holds her phaser at the ready, keeping an eye on both behind and in front of the group::

ACTION: The skittering that had been heard on the Sentinel seems to have stopped, replaced instead by an almost eerie silence.

<NAV_LtCmdr_Marsland>

::taps his commbadge:: *ALL*: All hands, this is the Navigator. We have a possible intrusion. All hands proceed to your nearest locker and take up arms, prepare to repel boarders.

<ENG_Ens_shTolar>

@::stands as the door to ME opens, not sure she's prepared for the sight::

<OPS_Lt_Baudin>

NAV: There's something sitting over Deck 7. It's...big. I think I can get a visual, putting it up now.

<NAV_LtCmdr_Marsland>

::nods at OPS:: OPS: Onscreen. ::takes a look.

<CSO_LtJG_Hret>

@::Holds his phaser aimed forward, next to his tricorder as he scans ahead.::

ACTION: Main Engineering opens up before the crew, inside there are glittering strands of thick webbing covering everything, trailing up the walls and over consoles, cocooning the entire room. Thousands upon thousands of tiny spiders, ranging from a few centimetres to a foot or so in length scurry along the webbing, milling around humanoid-shaped bulges

<XO_LtCmdr_Stradiot>

@::Feels a chill run down her spine as she looks into the room::

<CSO_LtJG_Hret>

@:: Stares at the scene in Engineering, jaw agape.:: ALL: Oh......My.......

ACTION: Onboard the Sentinel, the viewscreen flickers to life with the external view, sitting upon the hull is a glittering arachnoid thorax at least thirty feet across and almost twice that in length

<ENG_Ens_shTolar>

@::glances around, fear etched deeply in her features:: CSO: How bad off are the crew?

<CSO_LtJG_Hret>

@::Adjusts his scans to determine the condition of the cocooned crewmen and if they can remove the webbing.::

<NAV_LtCmdr_Marsland>

Outloud: Oh.. my.. ::looks down at Lieutenant Baudin:: OPS: Suggestions?

<CSO_LtJG_Hret>

@::Does his best to slow his breathing.:: XO: They seem to be in a suspended state, similar to coma. I Would surmise they've been...sedated. Most likely toxin of some kind, similar to arachnid venom.

<ENG_Ens_shTolar>

@CSO: Do you think we can remove them safely?

<OPS_Lt_Baudin>

NAV: It looks like it is just...sitting there. Perhaps we could run some kind of charge along the hull to-- ::a sensor alarm sounds, drawing his attention:: NAV: ...Sir! The filaments--the ones that no longer have a charge, we're detecting some sort of life from them.

<XO_LtCmdr_Stradiot>

@CSO: And without attracting the other spiders?

<NAV_LtCmdr_Marsland>

::turns to Flight:: aNAV: Try backing us out slowly, between the filaments we bad happens.

<NAV_LtCmdr_Marsland>

OPS: Good. Try sending a polarization charge along the hull to see if we can get this thing off.

<CSO_LtJG_Hret>

@XO: If this species follows the norm for most arachnid species, this web is most likely a warning system as well as a means of storing....food.

<aNAV_Butters>

NAV: Uhhh, aye sir! ::slowly plots a reverse course before engaging on thrusters::

<ENG_Ens_shTolar>

@ALL: We have to try... ::sounds like she's trying to convince herself::

ACTION: There's a groan as the ship reverses slowly, tearing free of the smaller filaments in it's path before coming once more to a shuddering and crashing halt as it meets more

<CSO_LtJG_Hret>

@XO: Any attempt to remove our fellow Starfleet personnel would likely be considered an aggressive act and elicit an appropriate response.

<OPS_Lt_Baudin>

::fingers fly over the console to set up the charge, though jolts when the ship slams to another stop:: NAV: Well, at least we have some wiggle room...

<CSO_LtJG_Hret>

@XO: We need some kind of mass defense, a sonic or chemical deterrent perhaps.

<XO_LtCmdr_Stradiot>

@CSO: And as there are thousands of them....

ACTION: On the viewscreen, shaken by the movement, the arachnoid rears up it's legs flailing before it slams down onto the hull

<NAV_LtCmdr_Marsland>

OPS: Keep firing that beam again to try and break up more filaments ahead of us. You and our assistant Navigator keep it up. Beam forward, move forward, then beam aft, move aft. I bet these subspace beings were attracted to the asteroid cluster. They couldn't say I disagree with you, Lieutenant.

<NAV_LtCmdr_Marsland>

*XO*: Exec, Nav here. It ::turns to OPS:: OPS: Polarize the hull plating again. We need to keep these things off our ship.

<ENG_Ens_shTolar>

@::thinks for a moment, checking a few things on the console:: XO: Uh... I should be able to generate a tetryon pulse with the station's deflector, if it's still working.

<OPS_Lt_Baudin>

Aloud: The little ones want some as well... ::good thing he'd left that second charge sitting, he lets it run over the hull again. if the big one didn't like it, then the others won't be able to stand it, right?::

ACTION: The polarised plating reacts much the same way, the arachnoids not sure what to make of it as their grip suddenly falters

<XO_LtCmdr_Stradiot>

@ENG: Alright....get on it. The same pulse should shake the webbing from the walls too...Which would drop quite a lot right on top of us.

<ENG_Ens_shTolar>

@XO: Including some crewmen... we should disable the gravity plating in there first. ::sets about doing that::

<NAV_LtCmdr_Marsland>

aNAV: Bring us closer to the station now. See if that helps our transporter lock. We need to get our men and the crew of the station and ship out of there.

<ENG_Ens_shTolar>

@::frowns some:: XO: I'm gonna need to be in there, unfortunately... ::looks to the door::

<aNAV_Butters>

::nods, and begins guiding the ship on thrusters through towards the station, taking it slowly, the depolarised subspace filaments snapping and breaking in the Sentinel's path:: NAV: On our way, sir!

<XO_LtCmdr_Stradiot>

@ENG: Good. Thank you, Ensign. You've done well, given the circumstances. The CTO's death came as a shock to us all. ::Looks to the door:: The CSO and I will cover you, in case they should start to wake.

@<aTAC_Ens_Beans>

@::readies his phaser rifle, standing on the other side of the door:: ENG: I have you covered.

<ENG_Ens_shTolar>

@::swallows softly and nods, checking to make sure the anesthazine levels had dropped before moving to the doors:: @XO: Alright... open it up.

<XO_LtCmdr_Stradiot>

@::Nods again:: ENG: Here we go. ::Opens the door::

<NAV_LtCmdr_Marsland>

OPS: Keep trying for a lock on any lifesigns, on either the ship's complement of the ship to one of our cargo bays?

<ENG_Ens_shTolar>

@::steps in carefully, wanting to avoid stepping on any of the spiders as she makes for deflector control::

ACTION: Inside ME, the floor is littered with dead or sleeping arachnoids, carpeting the way. The light flickers fitfully, but the beacons shine into the dimness and pick out all the details the Away Team need, including the multifaceted eyes and glittering thorax of a monstrous spider creature lurking in the shadows. With a screech, it charges.

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