Chapter 28
The Strain pt.2
Neelix and Roman violently shook on their bio-beds as Worf and Ambrose struggled to hold them down.
"Bree, I need that choline compound, now!" the Doctor shouted as his new Ocampan nurse hopped into action. As she walked over with a clear vile, the Doctor loaded it into a hypospray, even as he watched Harry and Tom walk into the room.
"Worf, what happened?" Harry asked as he looked from his security detail to the big Klingon.
"We were attacked." Worf answered as the Doctor injected Neelix and then Roman with a sedative that put them to sleep.
"Attacked?" Tom asked as he instantly looked over to Isis. "So this was just a ruse?"
"No... I don't think so." the Counselor answered before Worf could speak. "When we arrived on the ship everyone was very Ill..."
"Until they decided to wake up and attack us." Worf interjected. "They were unlike any species I've ever seen."
"We'll go back and kick their asses later." Ambrose spoke up, making everyone look over at him. "I just want to know were we infected?"
"No." the Doctor answered as he ran his tricorder over the away team. "However, Mr. Reigns, Neelix and this young man are." he said as he nodded his head towards the little boy on the bed.
Damn, I hope they didn't just infect the whole crew with what those aliens had. Harry thought to himself. "Is whatever they have airborne?" Harry asked.
"No.. at least not that I can tell." Doctor Zimmerman answered. "From what Commander Worf told me, whatever this is infects people by grappling them with some kind of stinger that protrudes from the aliens tongue. However this concerns me. Computer, lights half illumination." as the lights dimmed in Sickbay the Doctor grabbed a black light and cut it on. Walking over to Roman, he pulled the young man's tunic up and the gang gasped as they saw tiny things squirming under his skin.
"What the hell is that?" Tom asked as he took a step back.
"They're some form of parasitic worm like lifeforms." The Doctor replied with a sigh. "And they're rapidly multiplying. As far as I can tell they're trying to remap the human and talaxian genome's of our shipmates to try to change them into something else."
"Those creatures that we encountered on that other ship." Worf realized.
"Exactly." the Doctor said with a raised eyebrow.
I wish that boy was awake so he could tell us what's going on. "I want everyone to get out of this room." Harry said aloud as he looked around at his crew. "Worf I want you to set a security detail outside of this door. Doc I want you to erect a level five force field around these bio-beds and see if you can find a way to get those things out of them."
"Yes sir." Doctor Zimmerman said as everyone started to walk out of the room.
"Harry... Captain, I want permission to stay behind." Isis said as she walked over to him.
"Why?" Harry asked in confusion.
"Well... no offense to the Doctor but I don't want that little boy being alone."
"Permission granted. Just stay out of the Doctor's way." Harry said as he walked in between his crew-members bio-beds. "Roman... Neelix, I don't know if you can hear me but I want both of you to fight this. That's an order." with that said Harry spun on his heel and walked out of the room.
"Now that that's out of the way..." the Doctor started as he gently but still rudely pushed the Counselor out of the way. "Computer, please erect a level five force field around bio-beds one, two, and three." as the Computer complied with his request, he turned to look at his assistant. "Bree, you may return to your other duties and I'll call you if I need you."
"Yes, Doctor." she replied as she nodded to Isis before walking out of the room.
Watching as the Doctor walked into his office, Isis pulled up a stool and sat down as close as possible to the little boys bio-bed. Seeing that he was shivering, she watched as he turned over on the bed and opened his tiny eyes. As his brown pupils locked onto her, he suddenly smiled.
"Multumesc." he said, blinking sleepily.
"Is that your name?" Isis asked, happy that he had finally woke up. She was going to inform the Doctor but she wanted to talk to the boy a little first.
"My name is Hyland." the boy replied, making Isis realize that maybe it took the universal translator a minute to understand his language.
"Hyland that's a nice name." Isis said with a smile of her own. "My name is Counselor Isis and you're on the Starship USS Voyager. We responded to your ships distress signal. If you feel up to it, can you tell me what happened to you and your people?"
"My bunica woke... woke me up one night and told me to put on some clothes." Hyland recounted. "She looked... she looked so afraid about something. All... all I remember was leaving home and getting on a ship with some sick people. Me, my Mama, and Tata were attacked by some monsters and then I woke up here." as he said that, he looked around the room and saw Neelix and Roman in the neighboring bio-beds and his eyes started to water. "Where are my Mama and Tata?"
"I...I don't know." Isis answered honestly. "But we'll try to find them. Until then, I'll take care of you."
"Multumesc." Hyland said again as he closed his eyes.
Relaxing a little, Isis let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Hopefully she could be true to her word and find his parents but then she thought about it for a second. Not only were his parents probably on the other ship with those monster but with all likelihood they were those monsters now. Plus there was no guarantee that once turned that they could be changed back to what they once were.
Before Isis could stand up to go tell the Doctor that their little guest had woken up, Hyland started to violently cough. It sounded like the little ball that bounced around in a spray can. He sounded so empty. Seeing a pitcher of water on a tray nearby, Isis poured the little boy a glass and did something she shouldn't have done. She lowered the force field. Sitting on the bed, she gathered Hyland up only to discover that he wasn't Hyland anymore. He was one of those things and she was holding onto him. Isis didn't even have time to scream as Hyland's long barbed tongue shot out and grabbed at her neck, draining away her life force and making her go ghostly pale.
Hearing a commotion, the Doctor quickly walked out of his office in time to see Isis hit the floor. With wide eyes, he ran over to her and hit his combadge, calling for security. Before Isis passed out, she heard screaming and she saw security shoot Hyland square in the chest. The blasts having no effect on him. As security switched frequencies on their phasers, they hit Hyland again and Isis watched as he vaporized into thin air before passing out.
As her eyes fluttered open, she groggily looked up and was grateful to see Tom's smiling face, rather then the harsh light that was behind his head coming from an overhead panel.
"I'm glad that you're awake." Tom said as he reached out and held her hand.
"What was the name of the shuttlepod that hit me?" Isis asked groggily as she tried to sit up, only for Tom to gently push her back down.
Letting out a sigh, Tom looked deeply in her eyes. "I wish it was that simple."
"What do you... mean?" she asked hoarsely.
"What I mean is... you've been infected." Tom told her sadly. To his surprise she did something he didn't expect. She cracked a smile before she burst out into laughter. "Hey, I know they say that laughter is the best medicine, but this is ridiculous."
"It's just that... it's just that I spent my whole life running from the Borg so I wouldn't get infected by them." Isis said as she let him in on her little joke. "And now I'm going to be taken down by... whatever this is."
"Hey let's not talk like that." Tom told her gently. "The Doc is going to figure this out."
"Like he did for that little boy?" she asked meeting his gaze and letting him know that she saw what happened to him. "Face it Tom, this is the end for me."
Sitting in silence for a moment, Tom suddenly cleared his throat. "I was just thinking that we've known each other for months but I barely know anything about you."
"Are you trying to get information, so you'll have something to say at my eulogy?"
"What's gotten into you?" Tom asked as he let go of her hand. "I understand that..."
"No you don't understand!" Isis shouted, her eyes blazing. Seeing that Tom was taken aback by her sudden attitude, she closed her eyes before looking back up at him. "I'm sorry... it's just... I spent most of my life looking down on myself and I guess that's just hard for me to break away from."
"Well you better break away from it." Tom replied with mock anger. "The people on this ship need you. I... I need you." he said the last part out more quietly.
Sensing how he must have been feeling at the moment, she reached up and grabbed his hand and she started to tell him about her home planet, the Borg, and how she aimlessly started to travel towards the Delta Quadrant and as the years past how her anger twisted so much that she wanted to seek revenge on the Borg but as fate would have it she hadn't seen a single cube. She felt like nothing for so many years until Harry and Voyager came along and saved her from the Kazon.
"I had no idea." Tom said as he looked at her in astonishment. She went through so much for someone so beautiful. With a mischievous smile, Tom suddenly sucked on his teeth. "So you have a crush on Harry? Does B'Elanna know?"
"Harry is like a little brother to me and I love him to death but I have my eyes on a certain Commander." seeing the excitement in Tom's eyes she decided to have a little fun herself. "Speaking of that certain Commander, I wonder what Worf is doing right now?"
"Oh, ha ha ha." Tom replied flatly. Before he could make a snappy comeback the ship suddenly shook hard. Letting go of his hand, Isis gave him a nod letting him know it was okay to leave. And honestly she was glad that he was gone because he started to smell good. Almost like food.
Bridge
As Tom made it to the bridge, he saw a sleek mean looking ship turning to face Voyager on the main viewer. "What did I miss?" he asked as he sat down at command.
"That vessel came out of nowhere and before we could do anything about it they destroyed that infected ship." Harry answered.
"They're hailing us sir." Worf reported. "I suggest that we raise shields and bring or weapons systems online."
"You can bring the shields online but hold off on weapons." Harry said as he sat up in his chair. "Let's see what they have to say first."
Taking that as he cue, Worf linked the connection between the two ships and the bridge crew saw an elderly man with haunted yet determined eyes onscreen.
"Unidentified ship, my name is Setrakian." the old man said.
"My name is Captain Harry Kim of USS Voyager." Harry answered. "We were offering humanitarian aide to the vessel you just destroyed. Why did you fire on it?"
"You were on that ship!?" Setrakian asked with wide eyes. "Were any of you infected?"
"Several of my crew were but..."
"You must destroy them before it's too late!" Setrakian cut Harry off. "They will become Strigoi and infect every living thing on your ship until no one is left."
"Look Mr. Setrakian we don't have time for this!" Tom shot back. "If you know something about this virus then you're welcome to come aboard and tell our Doctor about it so he can try to cure it."
"First off boy, this isn't a virus." the old man told him, his throat starting to go raw. Feeling his sickly heart starting to pound, he decided to calm down. "I'll come aboard your ship and tell your doctor what I know. But be warned that nothing he can come up with will work."
"We'll see about that." Tom said as his hands clenched on the side of his chair.
"Mr. Worf, have Mr. Setrakian beamed over." Harry ordered before he looked over to his best friend and smiled despite the circumstances. "And if it's alright with you sir, I'd like to have Worf escort me to the Transporter room." as he said that Tom could only look at him sheepishly.
Transporter Room One
As Worf and Harry stood at attention in the Transporter room, they saw as a small elderly man with a cane materialized on the Transporter pad.
"That young man that went off on me... what was his name?" Setrakian asked as soon as he saw Harry.
"His name is Commander Tom Paris." Harry answered as he shared a look with Worf.
"I assume that this... Tom has someone that he cares about dearly that's sick?"
"Isis." was all Harry could say. He was quiet about it but he knew that Tom was sweet on her.
"When she transforms into a Strigoi then she will try to attack him first." Setrakian told him. "Now take me to this Doctor of yours. Let's see if he can do what I couldn't in over sixty years of researching."
"Before we go anywhere we need to talk about those people you killed." Harry said angrily. "How could you..."
"Those things weren't people." Setrakian cut him off. "Surely by now you know that they are dead. They are Strigoi."
"And you've been hunting them." Worf stated rather then asked.
"For over sixty years." Setrakian replied with a hint of sadness in his voice. "Ever since my run in with the Master."
"The Master?" Harry asked in confusion. "I..."
"Perhaps, I'll tell you about that another time." the old man said as he clutched at his heart. "Now take me to your doctor."
Sickbay
Setrakian lowered his head in sadness as he saw Isis, Roman, and Neelix barely holding on to life in their bio-beds. Their skin was so ghostly pale and it didn't seem like they had much time. "Such suffering." the old man said as he shook his head. "You should let me end their lives. I promise to make it quick and painless."
"You will do no such thing." the Doctor replied with a frown as he walked over to him from the other side of the room. "Who do you think you are?"
"Doctor this is Abra Setrakian." Harry introduced the two. "He is a Strigoi hunter and he knows all about this virus."
"Strigoi?" the Doctor asked as his brows furrowed. "You mean a vampire?"
"Doctor, you've heard of that term before?" Worf asked.
"It sounds like an ancient Romanian word that means vampire." the Doctor replied as he suddenly burst into a bout of anger. "But that's absurd. These people are suffering from some sort of parasitic virus, not some ancient fairy tale."
"I'm not sure what a vampire is but as I told your Captain this is no virus." Setrakian said evenly. "The vector for Strigoism is a capillary worm, which, once introduced into a host's bloodstream, either through feeding or direct invasion by the worm through a wound or orifice, introduces incurable and fast-acting signs of what you might believe to be a virus. As the host starts to die these worms multiply and start to manipulate the host's genes, causing the host to undergo numerous, radical physical changes. After the host dies and the worms fully take over, the first and most distinct Strigoi adaptation is the development of a long, retractile proboscis beneath the host's tongue, capable of extending up to six feet from the mouth. This stinger is both the strigoi's feeding and reproductive mechanism, shooting forth to latch onto it's prey's throat or thigh, both draining the victim's blood for nutrition and infecting them with capillary worms. Now tell me does that sound like what happens with your mystical vampire infection?"
"I... I must admit that, that does sound similar to the ancient legends that were on Earth." the Doctor said considering what the other man was telling him and briefly wondering if those old accounts about vampires were true or not. "Tell me, do these Strigoi have any weaknesses?"
"You can tell if someone is infected if you show their reflection in a silver-backed mirror." Setrakian said, seeing that the Doctor was finally starting to believe him. "Their reflection will start to violently shake. Decapitation works, they hate sunlight because it can instantly destroy them, which is why they draw their hosts out into space, and they are highly allergic to silver because of disinfecting properties of the element which can kill them."
"Silver?" the Doctor asked, his mind already spinning. "You wouldn't happen to have some would you?" As he asked that the old man reached behind himself into a small sack and pulled out a thin silver stake before handing it to the hologram.
"Doc, it seems like you have a plan going on?" Harry asked as his CMO ran over to his workstation.
"I have more then a plan." the Doctor replied even as his hands were going a mile a minute fixing up some kind of cocktail. "I think I've come up with a cure."
"How many times must I tell you people!" Setrakian yelled angrily as he looked around the room. "There is only one way to cure these people. The Master of whom this infection comes from must be killed. I know this because he's the one that did this to me." as he said that, he took off his gloves and showed them his broken and crooked hands. It seemed that the damage was done long ago and it obviously didn't heal right.
Before the Doctor could reply, the ship suddenly slipped into red alert. Harry we have several intruders on board. Tom said over the comline. Most of them are on your deck.
"It's the Strigoi!" Setrakian said, his voice coming out as a growl. "I know their stench anywhere."
"How would they be able to get on my ship?" Harry asked as Worf handed him a phaser.
"They can breathe in out of space." Setrakian reasoned. "Perhaps some of them survived the explosion from that ship. No matter though, they must be destroyed." as the three of them walked towards the door, Setrakian suddenly stopped and looked back at the Doctor. "If your cure doesn't work..." the old man just let his sentence linger in the air before walking out of the room. Getting the message, the Doctor quickly started back on his work.
As Setrakian walked out of Sickbay, he closed his eyes to help hone his senses. Hearing a clicking noise, he opened his eyes and looked to Harry. "They're coming. They can sense that soon some new brothers and sisters will be born." Looking back at Worf, he smiled because he saw a look of pleasure on his face. Obviously he was anticipating the upcoming battle.
All three of them now heard the clicking noise and they watched as five Strigoi ran from around a corner. Unscrewing a cap on the top of his cane, Setrakian pulled out a silver sword. "Strigoi, my sword sings of silver!" he cried out as he lobbed off the head of the first vampire that dared run towards him.
Snapping out a kick, Worf caught his opponent under the chin and sent him flipping backwards. With a punch, he knocked another one down, before reaching down and snapping his neck.
Harry almost tripped over himself as a Strigoi shot out it's tongue and tried to grab him. With nervous fingers, he put his phaser on the kill setting and vaporized it. Jumping to the floor, he shot another one as it got to close. "That was a close one." he said as Worf extended his hand and helped him stand to his feet.
"It's not over yet." Setrakian warned as two more rounded a corner.
Isis lashed out as she felt someone touching her shoulder.
"Counselor, it's alright." the Doctor said as he struggled to get control over her. "It's only me."
"Doc?" Isis asked as she groggily opened her eyes.
"That's right." the Doctor replied with a smile. "And I'm happy to report that you're cured."
As he said that, Isis looked around at the other bio-beds and saw that Roman and Neelix were sitting up and they looked as if their color was coming back to them. Hearing the door swish open, she looked over and saw Tom walking in the room and that Worf was standing silently in the corner. Giving both Neelix and Roman a look of disapproval, the Klingon quickly walked out of the room.
"Hey, I told you the Doc would patch you up." Tom said as he leaned up against her bed. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I got slammed on my head, but other then that I'm fine." the Counselor said as she quickly looked to the Doctor. "I will be fine won't I?"
"After a little rest you'll be perfectly fine thanks to my expert care." Doctor Zimmerman told her with a smug smile as he saw Setrakian about to leave the room. "If you'll excuse me Counselor... Commander." the hologram said as he walked over to the elderly man. "I wanted you to have this."
"You're giving me the cure?" Setrakian asked as he accepted the blue vial.
"Of course." the Doctor replied. "It only seems right since you are hunting the... Strigoi. FYI, it won't work on someone who has already turned, only people who are infected. So think the next time before you go about destroying ships."
"I will." Setrakian replied, taking little offence to what he said.
"I also wanted to talk to you about your hands." the Doctor said as he looked down at the older man's mangled digits. "I would have to rebreak them but I'm sure I can repair all of the damage that was done to you."
"You'd do that for me?" Setrakian asked in awe. "A perfect stranger?"
"Yes. That's my job as a Doctor to help those in need. It's the Starfleet way."
"Thank you for the offer but no thank you." Setrakian replied. "The next time I see the Master I want him to be reminded of what he did and what he took away from me. My hands are a symbol of that." as he turned to leave, he felt compelled to say something. "You people are some of the most generous that I've ever encountered out here in the black and that's very dangerous, so give your Captain some advice for me. Tell him there are things out here ever darker then the Strigoi that will exploit your kindness. Tell him that he and his crew have to be prepared for that."
"I... I'll tell him."
"Goodbye Doctor and have a safe journey."
As the Doctor said his goodbyes, he wondered if what Setrakian said about kindness was true.
