Chapter 11

Orpheus Project 2328

Commander Sarna leaned back and yawned, stretching her arms over her head. What I really need is a structural engineer to tell me what I can already see with my own eyes. You're in denial, Sarna...time to make a decision. She had been studying diagnostic visuals of the station for hours now. Her professional conclusion was that none of it was good. Whatever she decided could mean the end of the project, and would surely end her career, wouldn't it? And yet if she made the correct decision, the ethical decision, it would save lives.

Her career was over anyway. Her transfer to the moon had been not only a punishment, but a source of amusement to her former colleagues. Even her marriage was now all but destroyed. Of course, she was only beginning to take responsibility for that failure. Once the pride of a nameless Starfleet Intelligence special operations division, hidden from the rest of the Fleet and decent society, she had developed a reputation that had caused some of her colleagues to fear her, and just as many others to hate her. But all of that power had been extinguished one day, when she was ordered to do something that violated a system of personal morality she wasn't even aware that she had. And she had refused to carry out that order. Certainly her father had not anticipated this change in her. He had anticipated that she would follow orders unquestioningly, as she had done every other time.

In response, he had eliminated her position as an Intelligence officer, and arranged for her transfer to the Orpheus Project, what she had thought was merely a dead end assignment. It was to make a point; her father was always making a point.

Her refusal to follow orders had landed her here as a glorified security officer. At first humiliated, she had initially believed her former colleague Finnegan, whose treachery she knew too well, had been placed there to keep tabs on her, but Finnegan's interest in what the scientists were studying was now bordering on obsession. Clearly Starfleet Intel was very interested, and the incident in sickbay had been very revealing. Once she had read the initials "J.S" on Finnegan's data pad in sickbay just hours ago, she knew that John Sarna, her father was in fact, the real head of the Orpheus Project. It was unclear to her just how aware the greater body of Starfleet Intelligence might have been of her father's control over his agents, including herself. It was unlikely they were aware of anything he had done. But for now and for a long time, he had wielded absolute power.

And now by having Finnegan expose her to John Sarna's involvement in Orpheus, meant her father expected her to try and redeem herself by doing whatever she could to ensure the project's survival. Isabel and Paul Howard had no idea the danger they were in, and just how disposable they were considered to be. She knew that Finnegan would approach her soon, and with an ultimatum. How she chose to respond would be crucial. The Orpheus project was not about nanites, but about catching some kind of elusive, dangerous creature. The creature that had made Ensign Ari Ramos disappear.

Hearing footsteps, she turned her head slightly, now always on edge. She relaxed slightly when she identified the person approaching was Ensign Walker Keel. It was impossible even for Sarna, who enjoyed the company of so few people, not to like Keel. She glanced up at the tall young man with his soft wavy blond hair and smiled slightly. The Golden Boy returns. Sarna then returned to reviewing the screen silently.

Walker hesitated in the doorway. His anxiety was palpable. "Commander, I need to talk with you. We need to do something."

Sarna swiveled her chair around to face the young man. "Finish your report, Keel?"

Walker clenched his jaw angrily. "I didn't want to write that report, Commander. Not the way I was ordered to."

"Sometimes we have to carry out orders we don't like, Keel," she said quietly.

"Orders I don't like are one thing...being asked to lie when I know Ari was killed by something out there-"

"Ensign, why did you come to see me?"

"We have to shut this project down," he insisted. "Before someone else is killed."

She regarded him silently, before pointing to the computer screen. "I've been studying the vids you sent back from your moonwalk and the damage to the main support pylons extend beneath the surface. Each time we experience another tremor from beneath the station, more fissures appear. We're getting a tremor now every few hours."

"Finnegan said two weeks. We're never going to last another two weeks," Walker said, running his hands through his hair.

"We'll be lucky if we last two days, before this whole station goes tumbling down," said Sarna slowly.

"Surely this guy Finnegan can see reason!"

She looked up at him intently. "Not a chance. This thing is bigger than you and me. Listen Keel, this could mean your career...and depending on what happens, I may not be able to protect you. Understand?"

He nodded and swallowed, feeling the air in the room suddenly devoid of all moisture. "Okay...I mean, yes sir."

"We're going to do this my way, and we're going to get everyone out of this station safely. Everyone except for Finnegan."

USS Stargazer 2343

When Jean-Luc walked in to sickbay, he certainly did not expect to see Amanda Eneko. Based on his argument with Commander Hanson, he assumed that she would still be in a recovery room of some kind. He beckoned to a passing nurse. "Excuse me, could you direct me to Lieutenant Eneko's room?"

The nurse looked like she was about to respond, but then hesitated, seeing Doctor Gavin's approach. The CMO nodded curtly at Picard. "I'll take you to her."

Gavin took a chart from the nurse and tucked it under her arm with one smooth motion, waving Picard to walk beside her.

"I don't suppose it is worth it to mention your overdue physical, Mr. Picard," she said, walking just slightly faster than him. Her height was a factor, but either way, she began to pull ahead of him as they left main sickbay and headed down a long white hallway. Picking up his pace, but careful not to seem too hurried, he noticed, and not for the first time, that she was very attractive with long brown hair the color of honey. For some reason, he found himself particularly drawn to her British accent. Just one more reason to stay away from sickbay, given his track record with women.

"Well...sir-"

"Call me doctor, I'm not even close to being the military type, Mr. Picard."

"Starfleet isn't a military organization, Doctor, we are primarily-"

"Explorers? You sound like one of those holo-recruiters. We could argue this point all day, Picard. But I'd much rather get back to my earlier point...your physical."

"My medical records were transferred ahead of time," he insisted. "I had...believed that since it's been less than one year since my last physical on board the...that I could...that I could-"

"That you could skip it, Picard?" She slowed and he detected amusement in her gaze as she looked over at him. "For future reference, each transfer to a new ship brings a new set of medical clearances which Starfleet expects me to follow to the letter. That means a new physical for every new officer."

"I see," he said flatly as they stopped next to a large white door, displaying the warning: "Caution Bio-hazard". A blinking red light indicated it was a secured room. He glanced around, hoping to see some kind of protective suits for their immediate use. There were none.

Seemingly oblivious to his safety concerns, Doctor Gavin smiled and faced him, still going on about the bloody physical. "The requirement has been waived for the next four months. Lucky for you, Captain Sarna has a soft spot for you."

He blushed, which only increased his embarrassment. "Oh, I don't think so, Doctor..."

Gavin leaned in as if sharing a secret. "Trust me, Picard...she does."

He scratched the top of his head. "Doctor Gavin, I am perfectly willing to report for a physica-it's just that-"

"Oh, so willing all of a sudden? Now now...Gabby Sarna doesn't just hand out favors, Picard. Consider yourself lucky. I am perfectly willing to wait another four months if you are."

Gabby?

Dr. Gavin seemed well aware of his surprise. She crossed her arms as though ready to lecture him. "Captain Sarna and I have a history, so please excuse the familiarity. I've known Gabriela Sarna for over twenty years. I know her better than anyone else alive, and she is still a mystery. But knowing her as I do, I think it is rather significant that she has taken an interest in you and your career. As a matter of fact, I think she has something to prove to herself."

"Prove...? Sir-I mean, Doctor I don't understand."

"I'm afraid that's all I can say for now, Commander. But just be aware that now that you've captured the Captain's interest, you must be careful not to disappoint her. She loses interest in people rather quickly." Dr. Gavin's mouth grew hard as if an unpleasant memory occurred to her, as she turned away to open the door.

There was the sound of an unbuckling and a hiss, and the door swung open. Gavin walked in ahead of Picard, and his eyes immediately struggled to adjust to the lower light levels.

The room was large, and separated into two main compartments; one for monitoring quarantined patients, the other for housing them. A nurse nodded at Gavin and Picard from a nearby medical station. "No changes, Doctor," the nurse reported to Doctor Gavin, before returning his attention to his instruments. Gavin strolled over to look at the read outs and shook her head, looking confounded. "She's not improving," she said just loud enough for Picard to hear.

Jean-Luc tried to mask his shock as he walked slowly toward the transparent partition. Lieutenant Eneko was sitting on a hospital bed leaning back against a white wall, apparently asleep. A data pad sat in her lap, and her skin was a deadly pale. Every item and furnishing inside her room was white, and he wondered if there was an actual reason for this aesthetic. Certainly it was no comfort to him, and he doubted it was any better for Eneko. Her eyes fluttered open and then closed again. He stifled a feeling of pity, for Eneko was alive, if not well. She was in good medical hands, it seemed. But how was he to accomplish anything working with a quarantined and ill officer.

Gavin approached to stand beside him. "She can't hear us." The doctor pointed to a small communication station pushed up against the barrier. Nearby was a chair and a plain desk with a single data pad and stylus. "When you need to communicate with her, just activate this station and she'll be able to freely communicate with you...depending on how she is feeling."

Picard eyed the CMO with open irritation. "Doctor, these kinds of working conditions..."

Gavin shook her head. "It wasn't my decision, Lieutenant Commander. If it was up to me, do you think I would allow my patient to participate in this assignment? I will be brutally honest with you, Picard...I have no idea if Eneko is going to survive." She put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder before moving away. "Just do your best."

Captain Sarna waited patiently as the transporter beams solidified into humanoid shapes. Next to her stood Lieutenant Commander Zev, a perceptive and notably ambitious Andorian. She'd given Zev the responsibility for orienting the newcomers, in particular T'Pel, who would be staying on board, if all went well. Her first impression of Leland Mackenzie was that he was short, good looking in an overly tidy sort of way, and seemed very impressed with himself. T'Pel and Tanek, both tall and slender, glanced around with typical Vulcan calm and poise before stepping down from the platform.

"We come to serve," said T'Pel, extending her hand in the traditional Vulcan salute with a slight bow of her head.

Captain Sarna returned the salute easily. "Your service honors us."

Tanek remained staring straight ahead, with an expression of total disinterest. "Where are our accommodations?"

Sarna glanced at Zev, whose antennae were twitching rapidly. "Deck 8 near the officers quarters. Lieutenant Commander Zev will show you the way."

"We are quite capable of navigating a turbo lift on our own," said Tanek.

"Congratulations," said the Captain icily.

"If it's all the same to you, Captain, I'd like to get started working right away," said Leland Mackenzie. "My quarters can wait."

Sarna smiled thinly. A couple of go-getters. "First things first Lieutenant...please go with Lieutenant Commander Zev."

She watched them all walk away before she departed for the bridge.

A few minutes later...

Doctor Gavin's sincerely concerned face appeared on the small view screen in the Captain's ready room.

Sarna frowned. "Yes?"

"It's about the autopsy reports Captain."

"What about them? I trust your judgment, Doctor Gavin-"

"No, it's not that. Have you looked at the list of the deceased colonists?"

"Not very closely..."

"Well...you need to. But I ask that you not overreact."

Sarna's eyebrows lifted. "About what? And what exactly do you expect I'll do?"

"I don't know," Gavin admitted slowly. "But just...well I know you aren't interested in discussing the past...,"

Sarna watched the doctor quizzically through the view screen. "You're correct about that, doctor."

"I just want you to consider that it might just be coincidence...it might not really be who you think it is."

"It's not like you to be so circumspect, Cynthia," the Captain said, tapping her index finger on the table.

Cynthia Gavin's response sounded somewhat defiant. "You forget how much I've learned from you."

The list of 200 colonists was not arranged alphabetically, but instead by time of death, and beyond that they were grouped by cause of death. Cynthia had not been exaggerating about the wide variety of illnesses by which these people had expired. By all accounts, these diseases were preventable, so what had happened? According to Command, a cloud entity had killed these people. But both the motive and the method were unclear. She continued to scroll down the list carefully before her eye caught on something. "Finnegan, Gerard J. -Missing." All other one hundred ninety-nine bodies were accounted for except for Gerard J. Finnegan.

Captain Sarna pushed herself to her feet, almost afraid that her feet would be frozen in place. Finnegan...missing. Why had he even been present on that colony? She began to pace her office, before stopping next to a communications terminal. She typed in a code on a secure channel and waited for several minutes while the screen remained black. Finally the screen blinked, and a familiar face with graying hair was staring back at her. "You don't look very happy to see me," said Walker.

"Keel...when you said that all of the people from the Orpheus project were dying, who exactly did you mean?"

"I don't know if we should be talking about this, Captain-"

Sarna slammed her fist down on the desk beside the computer. "It's a secure channel Walker. Now, why the hell didn't you tell me that Finnegan was involved in this?"

"A few weeks ago, doctor Chandler...you remember him as the medic attached to the Orpheus project-he was found dead."

"What from?"

"Appears to be foul play," said Walker.

"And you knew about Finnegan?"

"We knew he was missing-"

"Not just missing, Walker. He is the only person listed as missing from the colony, and everyone else is dead. Now what's going on here? He's still one of yours isn't he?"

"Finnegan's considered a rogue agent now, and very dangerous...assuming he is still alive." Walker rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Gabriela...I was going to warn you."

"About Finnegan?" She slumped forward in her chair for a moment before looking up at him sharply. "I should have killed that bastard when I had the chance."

"You tried."

"You have no idea. If I'd been quicker...smarter, the Howards would still be alive."

"There's no use in re-hashing the past."

"You sound like Cynthia...she told me not to over-react."

"She's right, Gabby, you know she is. And I think that she still loves you."

Sarna sighed. "She was right to leave me fifteen years ago. And that's all I will say, my marriage is long over and the matter is closed."

"But-"

"Walker...all I want to know right now is where Finnegan is."

"Why? So you can kill him? You're a Starfleet Captain, and these are far different circumstances...you can't act on that instinct for revenge no matter how strong it is."

"You don't know where he is, do you?"

"We know he's somehow tied to this cloud...but we need to learn more and fast."

Sarna rubbed her eyes. "Walker...is this cloud the entity you encountered on Luna? I need to know the truth. I'm sending my people to try and capture this thing, including your good friend Picard. I can't afford to lose anyone else."

"Did you already have a fatality from this thing?"

"A young woman picked up some kind of illness down on that training mission. Whatever it is, she can't shake it. Sickbay is at a loss."

"We can't be sure, but yes, we think that this cloud is the same entity we encountered during Orpheus."

"What the hell is it?"

"Again, we can't be sure about that either. But it's incredibly powerful. Gabby, you have to promise me that you'll be careful."

"Could you be more specific? We're not headed to a party, Walker."

"I think Finnegan is trying to tie up any loose ends related to Orpheus, and that includes you."

"You think he wants me dead? Because the feeling is mutual."

"I think that if he is still alive, yes, he will try and find you. And I suspect that where the cloud is, he won't be far behind."

Sarna steepled her fingers in front of her, attempting to calm her racing mind. Suddenly a dark back door opened in her mind, and a memory came back to her, of a young child trying to hide from a fiery blaze. She blinked and focused on her friend, here in the present. Still, she heard herself ask: "Walker, how is the girl?"

Walker paused and then broke into a slow smile. Gabriela had never directly asked him this question before. "Well, for starters, she's not a little girl anymore. She's just turned twenty years old and she's studying to be a doctor."

"Is she good?"

"Good? She's brilliant."

Sarna smiled. "But is she happy?"

"She is driven, and for now that makes her very happy."

"Does she...does she remember any of it?"

"If she does, she's never said a word about it."

"She must remember. She still has you. How could she forget?"

"Would you like to meet her after all this is over? I could arrange it, no problem."

Sarna sobered. "No. There's no need."