Race Against Time
By Hanakin
Chapter 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek, sadly, Paramount does.
Synopsis: While on a landing party mission, Nurse Chapel contracts a mysterious disease that appears to be incurable. Dr. McCoy and Spock must find a cure, before it's too late.
Nurse Christine Chapel checked her medikit for the third time before stepping onto a transporter pad near the back. She was a little nervous, partly because she was rarely on the landing party team, and partly because Spock was her commanding officer during this little excursion, and Christine wasn't about to screw up in front of him.
The rest of the landing party, including Lieutenants Uhura and Sulu, a security team consisting of two red-shirted ensigns, Derrick Nelson and Leighann Kelley, and of course Mr. Spock, stepped onto the remaining transporter pads. Christine couldn't help looking at Spock's lanky frame as he settled onto the pad in front of her. She glanced at her best friend, Uhura, who waggled her eyebrows and smiled.
"Energize, Mr. Scott." Spock said in his usual even tone, and the six crewmembers dissolved into six sparkling cylinders of light.
The away team's mission was to aid the scientists living on the planet, named Tupola, below. A distress call had been sent nearly two weeks before from the scientists' home base, but when the Enterprise attempted to contact them, no one answered.
Tupola was a large Venus-like planet with a heavy atmosphere unable to support life. However, the scientists had built a huge base inside of a clear, plasteel dome that circulated breathable air througout the base.
The team materialized inside the large and quite technically advanced laboratory and spread out, searching for any sign of the scientists.
Spock ran through the massive main computer while Christine scanned the information with her tricorder as it flew by at a highly accelerated rate. Uhura and Sulu checked the communications center, scanning all transmissions the scientists had sent and received within the last few months, and Nelson and Kelley searched the laboratory, looking for any clue as to where the scientists could be.
Christine struggled to keep her eyes on her tricorder. She was rarely in close proximity to Spock without anyone else around, and she couldn't help looking at him.
He kept his gaze on the computer screen, barely noticing that Christine was there. That was one of the few things she hated about him. No matter what, he nearly always avoided her gaze, and somehow always managed to make her feel unwanted.
Finally, after several minutes of silence, he spoke, startling Christine out of her private thoughts. "According to the computer, the scientists were working on a new type of microbe that, when released into the environment, could reform the planet into a comfortable, living world suitable for humanoid people. By releasing this microbe into the environment, it would simplify and quicken terraforming nearly 67.35%. Within a week, Tupola would become an Earth-like planet completely capable of supporting life. "
Christine's eyebrows rose in awe. "That's amazing."
Spock opened his mouth to speak again, but was interrupted by Ensigns Nelson and Kelley running into the room, shouting. "Mr. Spock! Mr. Spock! We've found the scientists!"
Spock rose from his chair, he, Christine, Sulu and Uhura followed the ensigns down a corridor and into a large room filled with medical equipment. Several beds lined one wall, five of which were occupied.
Christine involuntarily stepped backward in surprise. Thin sheets covered five of the scientists, but the sixth, a short, middle-aged Terran woman whose long, brunette hair was pulled sharply into a bun resting on top of her head, lay on the floor of the room, her skin pale and bluish, and her body twisted awkwardly, indicating that she most likely had fallen to the floor.
Christine pulled back the sheet on the first, a tall, Andorian male whose normally sky-blue skin was an odd, greenish color, and his antenna rested flat against his head, indicating that he had been unconscious before he died.
She scanned him with her tricorder, which confirmed her belief that he had died from a mysterious disease. The tricorder could not determine the strain of the disease, and Christine wasn't certain if she had ever seen readings quite like these before.
"Mr. Spock, could you come look at this please?" she called to the Vulcan, who was examining the woman on the floor. He strode over to her side, peering over her shoulder at the information the tricorder had collected.
According to the tricorder's information, the Andorian had died from massive infection of his lungs that, over the course of about 4 days, had damaged so much of his lungs that he died from asphyxiation.
Except for oxygen deprivation, the rest of his internal organs were nearly unscathed. Christine continued scanning the rest of the scientists: a female Vulcan, two older Terran men, and a Felinian, a tall, cat-like being with slit pupil eyes and liquid-like muscles under striped, gray skin covered by a fine down. Their readings were nearly identical to the Andorian's, severely infected lungs and death by asphyxiation.
Christine wandered into the adjoining room, a small room with pristine white walls and tables crowded by medical and biological equipment. High- tech microscopes, Test tubes, Massive computers and huge tanks filled with strange liquid lined the walls and filled the tables. She scanned all with her tricorder, attempting to gather as much information as possible.
According to her tricorder, a mysterious virus had ravaged the lab technicians, and as they were dying, they had attempted to find a cure for their disease, but to no avail. Christine found several of the failed experiments on the tables, and after assembling as much information as possible, along with taking samples from several of the experiments; she joined Spock and the others in the original room containing the dead scientists.
"They never found a cure." She said, sorrow heavy in her voice. These six people had died for no reason, their life's work never to be completed.
"I believe we have collected all possible information for the time being," Spock announced. He flipped open his communicator, and called, "Spock to Enterprise."
"Enterprise, Mr. Scott here, sir."
"We have gathered sufficient information. Stand by to beam up landing party."
"Aye, sir."
Sulu and Uhura rose from where they had been taking blood and skin samples from each of the scientists, and the six crewmembers moved into formation.
"Commence beaming up, Mr. Scott."
"Aye, Sir. Energizing."
They disappeared in six brilliant shafts of light.
A/N: Good so far? This is my first Star Trek fic, so please tell me what you think. Next chapter coming soon!!
By Hanakin
Chapter 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek, sadly, Paramount does.
Synopsis: While on a landing party mission, Nurse Chapel contracts a mysterious disease that appears to be incurable. Dr. McCoy and Spock must find a cure, before it's too late.
Nurse Christine Chapel checked her medikit for the third time before stepping onto a transporter pad near the back. She was a little nervous, partly because she was rarely on the landing party team, and partly because Spock was her commanding officer during this little excursion, and Christine wasn't about to screw up in front of him.
The rest of the landing party, including Lieutenants Uhura and Sulu, a security team consisting of two red-shirted ensigns, Derrick Nelson and Leighann Kelley, and of course Mr. Spock, stepped onto the remaining transporter pads. Christine couldn't help looking at Spock's lanky frame as he settled onto the pad in front of her. She glanced at her best friend, Uhura, who waggled her eyebrows and smiled.
"Energize, Mr. Scott." Spock said in his usual even tone, and the six crewmembers dissolved into six sparkling cylinders of light.
The away team's mission was to aid the scientists living on the planet, named Tupola, below. A distress call had been sent nearly two weeks before from the scientists' home base, but when the Enterprise attempted to contact them, no one answered.
Tupola was a large Venus-like planet with a heavy atmosphere unable to support life. However, the scientists had built a huge base inside of a clear, plasteel dome that circulated breathable air througout the base.
The team materialized inside the large and quite technically advanced laboratory and spread out, searching for any sign of the scientists.
Spock ran through the massive main computer while Christine scanned the information with her tricorder as it flew by at a highly accelerated rate. Uhura and Sulu checked the communications center, scanning all transmissions the scientists had sent and received within the last few months, and Nelson and Kelley searched the laboratory, looking for any clue as to where the scientists could be.
Christine struggled to keep her eyes on her tricorder. She was rarely in close proximity to Spock without anyone else around, and she couldn't help looking at him.
He kept his gaze on the computer screen, barely noticing that Christine was there. That was one of the few things she hated about him. No matter what, he nearly always avoided her gaze, and somehow always managed to make her feel unwanted.
Finally, after several minutes of silence, he spoke, startling Christine out of her private thoughts. "According to the computer, the scientists were working on a new type of microbe that, when released into the environment, could reform the planet into a comfortable, living world suitable for humanoid people. By releasing this microbe into the environment, it would simplify and quicken terraforming nearly 67.35%. Within a week, Tupola would become an Earth-like planet completely capable of supporting life. "
Christine's eyebrows rose in awe. "That's amazing."
Spock opened his mouth to speak again, but was interrupted by Ensigns Nelson and Kelley running into the room, shouting. "Mr. Spock! Mr. Spock! We've found the scientists!"
Spock rose from his chair, he, Christine, Sulu and Uhura followed the ensigns down a corridor and into a large room filled with medical equipment. Several beds lined one wall, five of which were occupied.
Christine involuntarily stepped backward in surprise. Thin sheets covered five of the scientists, but the sixth, a short, middle-aged Terran woman whose long, brunette hair was pulled sharply into a bun resting on top of her head, lay on the floor of the room, her skin pale and bluish, and her body twisted awkwardly, indicating that she most likely had fallen to the floor.
Christine pulled back the sheet on the first, a tall, Andorian male whose normally sky-blue skin was an odd, greenish color, and his antenna rested flat against his head, indicating that he had been unconscious before he died.
She scanned him with her tricorder, which confirmed her belief that he had died from a mysterious disease. The tricorder could not determine the strain of the disease, and Christine wasn't certain if she had ever seen readings quite like these before.
"Mr. Spock, could you come look at this please?" she called to the Vulcan, who was examining the woman on the floor. He strode over to her side, peering over her shoulder at the information the tricorder had collected.
According to the tricorder's information, the Andorian had died from massive infection of his lungs that, over the course of about 4 days, had damaged so much of his lungs that he died from asphyxiation.
Except for oxygen deprivation, the rest of his internal organs were nearly unscathed. Christine continued scanning the rest of the scientists: a female Vulcan, two older Terran men, and a Felinian, a tall, cat-like being with slit pupil eyes and liquid-like muscles under striped, gray skin covered by a fine down. Their readings were nearly identical to the Andorian's, severely infected lungs and death by asphyxiation.
Christine wandered into the adjoining room, a small room with pristine white walls and tables crowded by medical and biological equipment. High- tech microscopes, Test tubes, Massive computers and huge tanks filled with strange liquid lined the walls and filled the tables. She scanned all with her tricorder, attempting to gather as much information as possible.
According to her tricorder, a mysterious virus had ravaged the lab technicians, and as they were dying, they had attempted to find a cure for their disease, but to no avail. Christine found several of the failed experiments on the tables, and after assembling as much information as possible, along with taking samples from several of the experiments; she joined Spock and the others in the original room containing the dead scientists.
"They never found a cure." She said, sorrow heavy in her voice. These six people had died for no reason, their life's work never to be completed.
"I believe we have collected all possible information for the time being," Spock announced. He flipped open his communicator, and called, "Spock to Enterprise."
"Enterprise, Mr. Scott here, sir."
"We have gathered sufficient information. Stand by to beam up landing party."
"Aye, sir."
Sulu and Uhura rose from where they had been taking blood and skin samples from each of the scientists, and the six crewmembers moved into formation.
"Commence beaming up, Mr. Scott."
"Aye, Sir. Energizing."
They disappeared in six brilliant shafts of light.
A/N: Good so far? This is my first Star Trek fic, so please tell me what you think. Next chapter coming soon!!