Chapter Two
"Lieutenant Reed is suffering from a severe cold," Phlox replied, placing his tools on the counter.
Archer nodded and rubbed his chin. He too felt like he was suffering from a mild cold. "Is there a virus going around?"
"I'm not exactly sure. He may have caught the little bug from the planet. I'd like everyone to be cautious while on the surface. More officers may have it, it might just attack the immune systems of those with allergies," Phlox explained.
"I'm feeling a bit drowsy myself, doctor," Archer said. "But I'm sure I'll be fine on the planet surface."
Phlox nodded and dismissed Archer. Reed would not be returning to work for a few days, until he was feeling much better.
***
In the next twenty-four hours, half the crew came down with the mysterious virus. All the senior officers except for Hoshi were ill. Hoshi and an array of crewman manned the bridge, while only a few were in engineering. It was a difficult task at first, but she had no other choice.
Doctor Phlox made everyone who was sick stay in their quarters while he investigated the cause of the virus. The Denobulan found out the virus was from the planet itself and it was contagious by touch. It was spreading like an epidemic.
***
"I apologize that your people have fallen ill due to a bacteria in our air," Governor Nak apologized.
"It's not your fault. We didn't see the virus on planetary scans before coming to your world," Archer said. "We must have over looked it…"
Nak folded his hands after closing the connection. He knew why they had fallen ill and he didn't want to discuss the matter with the humans, who were outsiders. Their disposal agency had a spill several days ago and the matter was still being cleaned up.
The governor didn't think any serious harm would come to their new allies, and he wanted to make sure such a minor matter derailed the treaty. Surely a simple cold was a small price to pay for such a positive first contact with the humans.
***
Archer relaxed in his chair and began sneezing. He slowly stood from his chair and reclaimed his bed. There was no way he could sit up any longer.
He tapped his comm badge to check on Doctor Phlox, when he finally was lying on his comfortable bed.
"Phlox, this is Archer. Status?" He wheezed.
***
Phlox was running around sickbay and trying to give something to the patients in the room. He injected an anti-hystemine in Travis and then waited. The pilot looked up with his dark eyes, hoping for the cold to go away.
Then Phlox's badge beeped, "Phlox this is Archer. Status?"
Phlox sighed and tapped his badge, "I'm afraid I've come down with this thing as well, captain. Plus, I have ten more patients. I've given a direct order for people to not touch each other, captain!
"The virus is also mutating to a strain of influenza," Phlox told him.
The captain didn't respond for a few minutes and then it sounded like he was cussing under his breath.
***
Hoshi tapped a few buttons on the control on her seat. She went through the information Phlox sent her way. She concurred that the virus had to be more than a virus. Possibly a chemical spill turned bad. The linguist rubbed her temples and laid her head on the head rest of the chair. She clenched her eyes, trying to clear her head.
Why would someone try to infect the crew? What would they gain in doing so? These questions ran through her head as she gave the order for a crewman, any crewman, to run scans on the entire planet.
"I want scan of the entire planet, but more intricate scans of the areas the crew has been and outlining areas," Hoshi ordered.
Crewman Baird acknowledged her and went on. He was bored, since the ship was running on silent mode because of the skeleton crew. He was determined to get
"Lieutenant Reed is suffering from a severe cold," Phlox replied, placing his tools on the counter.
Archer nodded and rubbed his chin. He too felt like he was suffering from a mild cold. "Is there a virus going around?"
"I'm not exactly sure. He may have caught the little bug from the planet. I'd like everyone to be cautious while on the surface. More officers may have it, it might just attack the immune systems of those with allergies," Phlox explained.
"I'm feeling a bit drowsy myself, doctor," Archer said. "But I'm sure I'll be fine on the planet surface."
Phlox nodded and dismissed Archer. Reed would not be returning to work for a few days, until he was feeling much better.
***
In the next twenty-four hours, half the crew came down with the mysterious virus. All the senior officers except for Hoshi were ill. Hoshi and an array of crewman manned the bridge, while only a few were in engineering. It was a difficult task at first, but she had no other choice.
Doctor Phlox made everyone who was sick stay in their quarters while he investigated the cause of the virus. The Denobulan found out the virus was from the planet itself and it was contagious by touch. It was spreading like an epidemic.
***
"I apologize that your people have fallen ill due to a bacteria in our air," Governor Nak apologized.
"It's not your fault. We didn't see the virus on planetary scans before coming to your world," Archer said. "We must have over looked it…"
Nak folded his hands after closing the connection. He knew why they had fallen ill and he didn't want to discuss the matter with the humans, who were outsiders. Their disposal agency had a spill several days ago and the matter was still being cleaned up.
The governor didn't think any serious harm would come to their new allies, and he wanted to make sure such a minor matter derailed the treaty. Surely a simple cold was a small price to pay for such a positive first contact with the humans.
***
Archer relaxed in his chair and began sneezing. He slowly stood from his chair and reclaimed his bed. There was no way he could sit up any longer.
He tapped his comm badge to check on Doctor Phlox, when he finally was lying on his comfortable bed.
"Phlox, this is Archer. Status?" He wheezed.
***
Phlox was running around sickbay and trying to give something to the patients in the room. He injected an anti-hystemine in Travis and then waited. The pilot looked up with his dark eyes, hoping for the cold to go away.
Then Phlox's badge beeped, "Phlox this is Archer. Status?"
Phlox sighed and tapped his badge, "I'm afraid I've come down with this thing as well, captain. Plus, I have ten more patients. I've given a direct order for people to not touch each other, captain!
"The virus is also mutating to a strain of influenza," Phlox told him.
The captain didn't respond for a few minutes and then it sounded like he was cussing under his breath.
***
Hoshi tapped a few buttons on the control on her seat. She went through the information Phlox sent her way. She concurred that the virus had to be more than a virus. Possibly a chemical spill turned bad. The linguist rubbed her temples and laid her head on the head rest of the chair. She clenched her eyes, trying to clear her head.
Why would someone try to infect the crew? What would they gain in doing so? These questions ran through her head as she gave the order for a crewman, any crewman, to run scans on the entire planet.
"I want scan of the entire planet, but more intricate scans of the areas the crew has been and outlining areas," Hoshi ordered.
Crewman Baird acknowledged her and went on. He was bored, since the ship was running on silent mode because of the skeleton crew. He was determined to get
