Chapter Four
Dropping out of warp over the once peaceful and beautiful world, Kirk finally got a chance to see the Romulan planet of Langara for the first time. He had read the original reports of the USS Challenger crew involved in the disaster many times however, it did not do justice to what he saw on the planet below.
As Enterprise established a standard orbit above the main colony below, large craters could be clearly seen below littering the few landmasses on the mainly ocean world. Its once beautiful blue oceans had turned a dark green from over a century of pollution as thick clouds of dust and debris floated in the skies above. Shocked almost to the point of being speechless, Kirk leaned forwards in his seat as he took in the damage done to the planet below.
"My god" Cried out Sulu. "I read the reports on this world. It was almost a paradise"
"Not anymore" Kirk said. "Spock, sensor analysis?"
"Aye sir" He said with a deep breath. "The atmosphere is heavily polluted as is the ocean. Reading trace elements of the plague in the atmosphere. A small island chain near the equator has been turned into some kind of mass grave, reading millions of corpses"
The sound of the turbolift doors opening too his right, caught Kirk's attention as Doctor McCoy, Doctor Selana and the large security guard entered the bridge.
"Impressive vessel Captain, very impressive. That planet was used as a mass gravesite for the infected. The large landmass was almost pulverised by asteroids and plasma torpedoes before the call was given to stop. A large medical and research centre has been set up on that continent… just to the left of that island chain. The infected come here to die as tests will be carried out in the hopes of finding a cure" Selana said slowly.
"Spinalonga!" Kirk said slowly.
"Captain?" Spock replied slowly.
"Earth history Mister Spock… Spinalonga was a Leper Colony set up on Earth, Crete actually… it eventually closed in the mid 20th century"
"Actually Captain Kirk, if I understand you correctly, that is not far from wrong. Langara is a world for the dead and dying… it is manned by automation. Once a month, drone ships bring those who are infected here to live out their remaining lives in isolation. At one time, it was manned by slaves from captured worlds and prisoners of the Empire, after fifteen years, even that was found to be… cruel. Here, a patient's life span is no greater then one Earth year"
"Disturbing" Uhura said quickly.
"Very" Selana replied. "Before I was born, my father was sent here to die. Once the first symptoms of the plague were discovered, he was removed from his family and placed in isolation. The plague does not become terminal until stage three"
"Jim, we think we have the cure. Doctor Selana will remain onboard… I will go down and administer the first test on a volunteer" McCoy replied.
"Is that safe Bones?"
"For some reason, the plague is not effective against red-blooded species. We don't know why…"
"Believe me Captain Kirk, that was the first thing we looked into" Selana said.
"If it makes you feel any better, I'll wear a Haz-Mat suit…"
"Full quarantine procedures Bones, we can't risk this ship being infected" Kirk said quickly.
"Understood. With your permission Captain. I can be ready to beam down to the surface in one hour"
"Of course. Doctor Selana, you will monitor his progress from the Med-Lab… Spock, you will assist"
"Aye sir" Spock said slowly.
"As you wish Captain Kirk"
Quickly leaving the bridge, McCoy took one last look around. Deep down he had the nagging feeling that he would not be allowed to return too the ship and it would be the last time he saw his old friend Jim Kirk, a feeling that was echoed in the young Captain's eyes. With the large security guard ever the Doctor's side, Spock joined the three in the turbolift as they disappeared behind the closing doors
After dressing the blue medical Haz-Mat suit, McCoy picked up a large medical case containing the equipment he would need for the mission ahead. Although it was standard procedure for a Security team to escort him, a transporter lock would be kept on the doctor at all times and an order given to beam him into quarantine at any time or any sign of struggle.
Arriving in the transporter room, McCoy took a deep breath as he looked at what had become his old personal demon, the ship's transporter platform. Placing aside his personal fears, he stepped onto the large platform as Selana handed him the final component of his suit, the small perfectly fitting helmet which had been tailor made the Doctor.
"Be careful down there Doctor, the inmates are not used to visitors…"
"Inmates?" Spock replied. "It sounds like a prison Doctor"
"In many ways Commander Spock, it is. Patients in phase three or higher can become… restless" She said slowly.
"She means dangerous Spock. It takes four years from exposure to death… can you imagine having an incurable illness for that long, not knowing if anyone will find a cure and in your last year… you will be taken away from your home and loved ones to die!"
"Perhaps a security team should accompany you Doctor, or at least take a phaser"
"No weapons are allowed on the surface Commander…" Selana said with urgency.
"Besides Spock, a security team will slow me down" McCoy smiled slightly.
"As you wish. A security team is standing by in transporter room two. The captain has ordered medical shuttle one on stand by, it will have a full escort of M.A. ready at your command"
"It won't be needed, but thank you anyway. Well I should be going; I have at least four hours of light down there… I should get going" He said slowly.
"Good luck Doctor… Bones!" Selana smiled slightly.
"Too us all!"
Pulling on his helmet, he gave the order to transport before he disappeared off the transporter platform.
Medical Log… I think I am doing this right.
Doctor Selana recording for Doctor McCoy.
The good doctor has beamed down to the surface of the infected world. I have been ordered by Captain Kirk to monitor his progress from the medical lab onboard the Starfleet ship Enterprise. She is an impressive ship with an impressive crew. I have heard stories about Captain Kirk, many from McCoy… I can say that many of them appear to be true.
Ohh, yes of course… Federation Stardate 1424.01.
In the 23rd Century, earth calendar.
Materialising on the world below the Enterprise, McCoy stood for a moment in shock at the rubble, debris and decomposing bodies scattered around his location. Many building had fallen over the years, most from the attack upon the world and the rest of them appeared to have been simply collapsed from years of being abandoned. The green blood of the Romulan species lined the streets and footpaths of this abandoned world as he slowly made his way towards the only structure within view that appeared to be standing. A large metallic hull of a Romulan medical ship appeared to be placed outside the main city. Stepping over the bones and decomposing corpses of those who died here McCoy could only imagine the smell that drifted over the place as the dark spectre of death hung over this city as if waiting for its next soul to capture. Although very little was know about the Romulan people and their ways of dealing with death, he was almost sick too his stomach by what he saw with his own eyes.
Onboard the Enterprise, a helmet mounted camera transmitted what he saw back to the ship as Spock, Selana, the security officer and Captain Kirk watched on a large screen before them.
"Enterprise, are you seeing this?" McCoy said quickly.
"Confirmed Bones" Kirk replied.
"I did not know it was this bad. Are you okay Doctor? Your heart rate is dangerously high" Selana said with concern.
"I'm fine… glad I can't smell anything"
"Bones, we can beam you back if you want"
"I'm fine Jim. Let's get this over with so can return to the ship and soak in a bath for a week"
"Understood" Kirk replied.
Slowly and carefully, McCoy finally reached the large structure that was once a medical ship.
"Okay, now Doctor… do you remember the access code to enter?"
"Entering it now… I've got access" He sighed.
"Now, deactivate the security net… second panel down. Code… 1-5-3-2-6-7-4 Dash… Alpha, Tango, 6-5-7"
"…6-5-7. Got it!"
"Secondary Code… Beta, 2-2... Delta, Charlie, Sigma 6"
"Got it. The green light. Is it safe to enter?"
"Not yet" Selana replied.
"Heavy security" Kirk laughed.
"Funny Jim. Why don't you come down here and help…"
"Sorry Bones, busy"
"Ha-ha! How's the leg?"
"Ohh shut up!" He smiled.
"Leonard, remove the panel below…"
"Done" He sighed. "Is this going to take long?"
"Almost done… do you see those three coloured controls?"
"Right in front of me"
"Press them in this order… Blue, Blue, Blue, Red, Gold, Blue, Red, Gold and Green… you might want to step back!" She said quickly.
As he stepped back, the large doors opened as a gust of air flowed out of the opening airlock before him. Stepping inside, a blue energy beam flowed over him as Kirk stepped forwards and yelled his name.
"Relax Captain Kirk…" Selana said quickly. "Decontamination beam, he's fine"
"It actually tickles slightly" McCoy laughed.
"You could've warned me" Kirk laughed.
"Didn't have time. I'm in… inner door opening… proceeding inside"
Taking a deep breath, Kirk stepped back as Spock and Selana stepped closer to the consoles before them whilst McCoy slowly entered the ship and continued his report.
"I've got bodies here, two… no three. Evidence of weapons fire"
"The ship was once taken over by the infected during a voyage here, it crashed on the surface. The lower levels are crushed, the Empire decided to use it… rather then destroy it. Several ships where sent to upgrade the vessel for the purpose of finding a cure for the plague. Those whom upgraded the ship where not allowed too return too the Empire"
"How is it maintained?" Spock said quickly.
"The ship has been modified with a… prototype self repair system. Holographic emitters, transporter systems and replicator systems are utilized to create what ever is needed. If and when someone of equal knowledge is infected, they willingly transport too this world to upgrade these systems… Doctor, take the next left and third too your right. You should then enter the main section"
Carefully stepping over the remains of the dead, McCoy finally entered the main laboratory of the ship. As he entered, yet another energy beam encompassed him as he laughed slightly at the sensation he was feeling before he reported back to the ship.
"I don't understand!…" Selana said with confusion.
"What?" Kirk barked.
"Those systems… they look new!"
"When was the last transport containing someone who could upgrade this system?" McCoy said quickly.
"Two years ago, Professor Zelenka!" She replied.
"Selana, this looks like it was installed last week"
"Doctor McCoy, please move too your left and take a closer look at the computer display" Spock replied calmly.
"Yes Geppetto"
Smiling slightly at the Doctor's sense of humour, Spock leaned closer to the computer console as he spoke.
"Doctor Selana, is that Romulan Technology?"
"No!" She growled. "Leonard, please scan it and transmit the results back"
"On it!"
As the information slowly crept into the Enterprise Computer, Selana and Spock moved to a console too the left as Selana slammed her fist down onto the glass console.
"That is Reman DNA!" She yelled.
"Reman?" Kirk replied.
"Now it makes sense…" She growled.
"Doctor, try to imagine that I have no idea what you're talking about" Kirk grunted.
"Alright, the short version. A few years ago, we found that 20% of the Remans are immune to the virus. We have used them a lot too maintain the Empire… many worlds attempted to break away, some actually succeeded for a short time. Since then, a radical faction of the Reman people had attempted to take over the Empire… the reason we where away for so long…"
"Did you not attempt too ascertain why they are… immune?" Spock said.
"Yes, we have no idea. We call them, The Untouchables. They are a sub-bread of the Reman people, a genetic throwback… not even the Remans will go near them, they consider them to be bottom feeders, to use a human word. They live in the depths of the Remus far away from the rest, they feed on the scraps of food allowed to them by the rest, even the slaves use them as slaves…"
"Then how did they amass such technology to adapt this vessel?"
"I do not know Commander Spock. Captain Kirk, they are a very dangerous breed, you should bring Doctor McCoy back immediately" She said with concern.
"Now hold the horses little lady…" McCoy protested. "… I have a job to do"
"Bones, I'd feel more comfortable if those ships where buzzing over head"
"Captain Kirk, if these… Remans… are on that planet, a shuttle craft would alert them of Leonard's location…"
"She is correct Captain. Doctor McCoy, can you ascertain how long it has been since that console was last activated?"
"Damn it Spock! I'm a Doctor not an Engineer" McCoy protested.
"Bones, hang tight… I'm sending down the cavalry. Transporter room two, this is the Captain Beam down the second team ASAP!" Kirk called out.
"Aye sir" Replied Scotty.
"No arguments Bones, better get back to work. Looks like you're on the clock now"
Captain's Log: Supplemental.
McCoy has been on the surface for two hours, he has made contact with those infected with the plague. I am happy too report that Professor Zelenka is amongst those he has met.
It appears that he has made a breakthrough in treating the plague, although he has only slowed its progress, it is a breakthrough nonetheless.
We now have eleven Romulan ships looming above us and the unknown ship has been spotted in several separate locations… What the hell is going on?