Phasers and Rosaceae

Posted on Sat Apr 16th, 2022 @ 2:31pm by Lieutenant JG Alia Fitzgerald & Lieutenant Commander R'elle

1,423 words; about a 7 minute read

“Computer, when was my meeting with Commander R'elle?” Alia asked the air in her cabin.

“Your meeting was scheduled for 39 minutes ago.”

Alia frowned slightly. “Is the commander well? Where is she?”

“Her vital signs are within normal parameters. She is current in her cabin.”

Alia was tempted to send her a message via computer but decided to go to her instead. She had enjoyed meeting and working with the Caitian and was beginning to see her as someone who could be a friend someday. The young human didn't enter into personal relationships easily and she was looking forward to making some closer connections aboard the Lionheart.

Though 'early' in the day by Federation Standard Time, there were already people moving briskly through the corridors. Alia took extra care not to bump into anyone with her encounter suit as she still wasn't used to the extra bulk. Certainly she would come to no harm if she did, since the suit would protect her but for the first time in her life, she was bigger than many people and it felt quite uncomfortable.

“I can't believe people WANT to be this big,” she muttered to herself.

R'elle's door opened for her as she approached without being requested. Either the computer had been left instructions specifically for the human or she just habitually left it unsecured during this time of day.

Her encounter suit intoned, “External temperature increased by 12 centigrade.” Alia, who hadn't felt a difference naturally, looked at the gauges to confirm what she had just been told. “I wonder if the Caitian homeworld is warmer than Earth?” She raised her voice, “Commander? I may have mistake where our meeting was so I came here.” Only silence greeted her.

The computer said she was fine... but this is too odd. With an unknown pathogen on board we can't take chances. “I'm entering your private quarters to see if you are well... my apologies!”

Alia found the counselor stretched out on her bed with her covers thrown off, blissfully asleep. “Commander?”

Slowly the caitian stirred. "MMm what? Where?" it was obvious she wasn't quite with it. "Too hot! why so hot? Not good for us." she said. it would appear the heat had a deleterious affect on her. As it was she was in her underwear and it was too hot for her.

"Sorry for the intrusion, but you missed our meeting, so I wanted to check on you." She raised her voice slightly, "Computer, lower ambient temperature to standard levels."

The slightly artificial voice responded. "Command overridden. Temperature is at optimal levels currently."

"You try, commander. Maybe it won't let me because it's your cabin."

"Computer, lower temperature 12 degrees centigrade." This was too hot! Yes cait was hotter than the standard temperature but not this hot. This was terribly uncomfortable.

"Adjusting environment... working..." The temperature did reduce slightly but it didn't become any more comfortable. In fact, the level of discomfort seemed to increase rapidly.

Alia looked at her readings. "Good, the temperature is coming down. I wonder what caused them to get so out of norm? I'm going to run a diagnostic on your sensors and see if the problem is there. Computer, run a level 2 diagnostic on the sensors and systems for this cabin."

"Test initiated, test completed. No anomalies detected."

"This is not good! Someone or something has gotten into the computer. MY guess is it's the prankster we've been hearing about. She began to feel the humidity rising. "Now the humidity is rising! This is getting very serious. When they start messing with the environment, that is very dangerous! Computer reset the humidity to previous levels."

"Humidity levels within defined parameters. No action taken."

Alia frowned. "I'm not sure who is defining parameters but it certainly isn't us. Let me try again. Computer, override all previous environmental settings for this cabin and key changes to my authority only. Set temperature to 25C. Set relative humidity to 70%. Lock in these changes and acknowledge commands."

"Confirming authority... working... authority not recognized. Settings unchanged changed unchanged unchanged unchanged changed." The lights in the room flickered and dimmed.

"Well... that didn't work."

"We need to get out of here. I don't trust that thing! It's been compromised. That and the humidity is too high. We need to notify engineering and security. This prankster has gone too far! This could have been a life threatening situation." I may need a little help. I'm a little weak."

Alia helped R'elle up with a little difficultly. Though the young woman was, frankly, below the average strength for a Starfleet officer, she WAS, in the end, a Starfleet officer and quite fit. "Commands aren't working. I want to access the computer from a direct terminal and see if I can bypass whatever has happened." The two moved toward the door, Alia supporting the Caitian. Before they made it, the replicator lit up but... nothing came out. At least not at first.

"R'elle are you detecting anything? The replicator..."

"No, not yet. Might be a good idea to call for help in getting us out." then as she continued sniffing. "Wait I smell hot chocolate coming from the replicator. "Watch out! It may squirt out at us." R'relle said.

"Hot... hot chocolate?" The lighting turned green and began to flicker as if being filtered through an overarcing canopy. Sound of birds and the calls of distant primates were overlaid over the low hum of insects. "Commander, perhaps it will be better to use a different cabin until we can clear out this... jungle.

As if in response, the replicator began sending fronds and leaves one batch after another.

"K'tal's claws! Are you kidding me? I did not grow up in the jungle!" She growled. "I think you are right. I may have to get a new Cabin for a while. Whoever did this will pay dearly for messing with me! C'mon lets get out of here!"

The two fought their way to the door but the distance seemed much longer than usual. "Commander, do you have holo projectors installed in your room?" She ducked as a colorful bird of some sort flew past her, forgetting it couldn't get through her encounter suit unless fired out of a cannon. "Computer, are there holo-projectors installed in this cabin?" She started getting the mild nausea she experienced when in badly tuned holodecks.

"Holo-projectors installed as ordered on stardate..." the rest of the message was drown out by a flash of light, a huge peal of thunder and a sudden downpour.

"That's a yes! This is not good! Call security! This is an emergency! If we don't get out of here, we may not survive!" R'elle said. If she had her combadge she would do it but she didn't have it! It was on her dresser and she was not going back for it!

Alia triggered her combadge. "Security detail to my location! There's a rogue... something... affecting Commander R'elle's quarters."

Her badge bleeped and a voice responded. "Setting conditions to match Argellus VII. Commencing."

"Argellus VII? Isn't that planet always stormi..." Her voice was interrupted by more thunder and torrential rains! *How can we get out of this?!*

She yelled to be heard over the storm. "Commander! There are holo-projectors but I don't think they were able to install intertial manipulators!"

"Oh, you mean..."

"Yeah, as long as we can ignore what it's feeding us, we might be able to make our way to the door. I need to count on your senses but NOT your sight. I'm too sealed up to help and it's jamming my sensors!"

R'elle closed her eyes and used the sense of smell and hearing. This was natural for her. "Yes, I can sense the door. I can smell the metal. Follow me." She led alia to the door. Here! The door is here!" R'elle managed to get the door open!

The two officers stumbled out of the cabin, chased by torrential rains and the cries of jungle animals until the closing door cut off all sound.

They both stood there silently until Alia said, "Ahem. I'll get a team to... vacuum. Things. yes."

"Vacuuming is the least of my problems." She shook her head. She slowly caught her breath, She would probably have to replace her wardrobe. What she was wearing, which left little to the imagination, wasn't really appropriate for when she was counseling somebody. Somebody had just caused a lot of trouble and she was going to find out who it was.

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