Star Trek: TNG
Episode 2.3: The Old-Fashioned Way
Tyson wondered for the first time if he shouldn't have just handled the contagion when they first arrived on the empty ship. His empathy told him that Tasha had been busy. The mood on the ship was elevated, and less inhibited, and the usual rigidness present in the pseudo-military vessel was muted.
Starfleet didn't consider itself a military, but it was a highly versatile organization. Its primary function was exploration, but it also handled issues of diplomacy, humanitarianism, and war. They used military ranking and like it or not, was the closest thing the Federation had to a military.
The pathogen was spreading. Contradicting his senses, he wasn't seeing much evidence of it as he walked through the corridors. The Tsilokovsky looked like there'd been a ship-wide rager, while the Enterprise halls were pristine as always.
His empathy passively picked up on a spike of aggressiveness. The sensation was nearby, but not in his immediate area. He ignored it. There were enough distractions today He needed a space where he could work undisturbed.
Deck twelve housed many different facilities. There were multiple science labs on the deck, he hoped at least one would be unoccupied. A bio lab would work as a fitting substitute for Sickbay. If he couldn't find a free lab, he could head to the other Sickbay. It wasn't as large, and the facilities weren't as robust, but not having a smoking hot doctor occupying his attention would make up for the loss in efficiency.
Tyson walked past the gym facilities he'd visited on his tour weeks ago. There was a loud commotion. With his knowledge of the future, there shouldn't be much that surprised Tyson, but this was something that hadn't been shown during the episode. There was a fight happening in the gymnasium. Correction. There was a massive brawl in the gymnasium. Tyson stumbled upon the source of the aggression he sensed earlier. The brawlers were an eclectic mix, some in casual clothes, ones who wore a gi like they were coming to attend a class, and others in full Starfleet uniform.
Staying out of the melee, Tyson tapped his combadge. "Tyson to the bridge."
"Go ahead Tyson," replied Riker.
"Commander, I don't know if you're aware, but there's a fight happening on deck twelve."
"Yes, we know, a security team was dispatched."
"Sir, pardon my language but they're getting their asses kicked. At least forty people are fighting in here, it's like a barroom brawl." Tyson stated while looking over uniformed officers around the room. "Oh, except for Worf. He's holding his own."
"Well don't just stand there. Help them! I'm sending another team as a backup."
"Permission to use phasers?" Tyson asked.
"Permission denied."
Tyson smiled and cracked his knuckles. "The old-fashioned way, it is then. Tyson out."
He'd been wanting to work on his martial arts skill. The zombies in the instant dungeon were no longer a challenge and even beating on them all day wouldn't earn a skill-up. Shame he couldn't use his phaser or phase pistol on the riot because his Energy Weapons skill was also lagging behind.
Martial Arts/Medicine Check (DC: 24) = 50 Major Success!
Martial Arts Skill Increased! 9-10
Tyson approached the nearest crewman in casual clothes from behind. He applied the Vulcan nerve pinch and the man dropped instantly. Tyson couldn't hold in his maniacal laughter. His high Medicine skill and Master with your Hands would allow him to power level his Martial Arts skill. Even without applying the Vulcan techniques, he should do well in a brawl. His twenty-three Strength attribute puts him one below the maximum for a human; just short of world-record level strength.
Martial Arts Skill Increased! 10-19
He downed ten fighters in the span of a few minutes. The entrance was so densely populated he was able to engage a single man, drop him and shift to another in sequence. His efforts did not go unnoticed. Tyson only targeted those in casual clothes, assuming the ones in uniform were members of the security team. Clearing the outskirts of the battle drew the attention of several nearby men, including Worf.
Catching his eye, Tyson shouted, "I'm up to ten, this round will certainly be my victory!"
Looking over the Klingon briefly, he was much less intimidating than the first time they met in this room. Tyson now stood a few inches taller than Worf. While he wasn't as stocky as the warrior, his sinewy muscles more than made up the difference. A common misconception was that Klingons were much stronger than humans. Klingons were only slightly stronger at baseline. Their greatest advantage was that they were far more durable.
Worf bellowed a laugh, "We will see." The Klingon's voice dripped condescension not hindered by his swollen, bleeding nose.
Three men wearing gis charged Tyson. He raised his guard and two punches connected. The blows didn't hurt much. Tyson lashed out in response. A few exchanges and Tyson dropped all three men. They were only of average strength, throwing punches that hardly hurt and did little to lower his hit points.
Tyson found unarmed fighting wouldn't earn him any skills, so he switched back to using the Vulcan techniques. He'd already taken down thirteen people on his own. There were five in the security team, not including Worf, and three of them were down. From what he could see it looked like they took down seven between them. Worf had taken down another seven on his own leaving nine standing against them.
Tyson was able to take out three more men solo. They teamed up to take down the remaining fighters. The total count ended up being Tyson sixteen, Worf nine, and the security team eight.
-16 HP (94/110)
Martial Arts Skill Increased! 19-22
Tyson pulled several dozen zip ties from his Inventory and passed them to the still-standing security crew. The four of them made quick work of restraining the downed men. Shortly afterward the other security team arrived and they began moving people to the brig on deck thirty-three. Instead of assisting them, he approached Worf.
"You fought well." Tyson complimented. "You took down more than the entire security team."
"Still. You were the victor."
"I have my ways. If I brawled instead of using special techniques it would've been close." Tyson said, offering a hand to the Klingon. "You should probably notify the Commander that the situation is under control. Also, I recommend isolation for security personnel. Whatever is spreading across the ship, they certainly have it now."
Tyson wiped a small bit of blood from his nose. The inconspicuous gesture was a cover. Some of Worf's blood had transferred to his hand when he helped the Klingon stand. As he swiped, he stuck his tongue out and licked the foreign blood without anyone noticing.
Perk Activated: Power Eater
Select Any Cosmetic Traits:
Klingon Ridges
Sharp Teeth
Select One
Klingon Constitution
Redundant Organs
+11 Constitution
Max Constitution cap increased 25 - 38
'The Anti-Worf Effect'
'Universal Translator'
Hit Point Multiplier x3'
Klingon Strength
+1 Strength, Max
Strength Cap Increased 25 - 30
Talons
+1 Unarmed Melee Damage
Tyson quickly selected Klingon Constitution, the obviously superior choice.
Worf asked, "Should we be placed in isolation as well?"
Tyson pulled out his medical kit, "Let me check. Have you been experiencing unusual sensations of warmth, lowered inhibitions, or intoxication?"
Medicine Check (DC: 40) = 30 Major Failure!
"No," replied Worf.
Tyson's tricorder didn't pick up anything. He continued, "I'm not detecting anything thus far, so I'd say no, we don't have to. Our bodies are much sturdier than humans and we more easily resist pathogens. If you aren't experiencing any symptoms I'm more inclined to recommend you stay on duty."
Tyson used his dermal regenerator around the few areas where he'd taken damage on his head and arms. He did the same for Worf and continued on his way to a bio lab once he finished healing.
+16 HP (660/660)
The following two hours saw nothing but failures. His time in the bio lab was uninterrupted, but zero progress was made toward a cure. On the bright side, his newly acquired Klingon Constitution allowed Tyson to resist the effect of the polywater contagion. Instead of continuing to progress, the 'disease' regressed a stage.
Constitution Check (DC: 13) = 13 Success.
Constitution Check: 26 Critical Success.
Negative Status Effect
Gained Polywater Contagion: While in the grips of this contagion, victims frequently succumb to their base desires.
Stage 2: +5 Charisma skill checks, -3 Intelligence skill checks, -3 Wisdom skill checks, -1 attack rolls.
Tyson worked until his focus was interrupted by a shipwide communication.
~~Star Trek: TNG~~
Wesley stood at the communication panel outside engineering. It was simple to reroute his communication through sickbay.
"Picard to Engineering. Chief Engineer, report to the bridge."
"Assistant Chief Engineer Shimoda, report to medical."
He quickly, but casually entered Main Engineering, not wanting to miss his window of opportunity. He approached the Chief Engineer station. The timing was perfect, the Chief Engineer had already left and Shimoda was there looking distressed.
"Hi, Jim." Wesley greeted happily while offering his hand to Shimoda. "Was that the Captain ordering you to medical?"
Shimoda replied as he shook the teen's hand, "Which would leave no one here on duty. The chief was just summoned to the bridge."
Wes reassured, "What about me? I could call the chief on the bridge if anything happened."
Shimoda nodded and left engineering.
It shouldn't have been that easy. With a few lines, and being in the right place, he was now acting Chief Engineer. But why stop there? Almost the entire ship could be controlled by Main Engineering. Why settle for being Cheif Engineer, when you could be Captain?
Wesley accessed the Chief Engineer console and routed all ship controls through the terminal. Then he locked command access from the Main Bridge. With a final flourish, Wes accessed the communication system and began a shipwide broadcast.
Picard's voice was broadcast across the ship through his soundboard, "Attention all decks, all divisions. Effective immediately, I have handed over control of this vessel to acting Captain Wesley Crusher."
Wesley took over the coms, "Thank you, Captain Picard, thank you. And with that order dawns a brave new day for the Enterprise."
After his little speech, he activated his tractor beam-turned-repulsor field science experiment. A shimmering screen separated the Chief Engineer station from the rest of Main Engineering. The problem with the experiment was the battery only lasted about twenty minutes. He set the repulsor on the console and began a power feed. Now that it was directly tied into Engineering, he could use the plasma conduits to fuel it indefinitely.
No one would be coming in and out without his permission. Wesley sat at the console and propped his feet up. It felt nice to be the Captain.
~~Star Trek: TNG~~
Lieutenant Commander Data approached the quarters of Lieutenant Yar. She had left her combadge in Sickbay when she escaped making her difficult to rack down. Data searched all the places where she was reported sighted, starting at Deanna Troi's quarters and the replimat Troi recommended she was heading toward. Not finding her, he circled back to Tasha's room on deck eight.
"Come in." A voice from inside the quarters purred.
The door opened granting Data access. When he entered the junior officer's quarters, Data could hear laughing from further inside.
"Lieutenant Yar?" He called out.
"Here Data." The door to the bedroom opened and Tasha sauntered out. "You wanted me?"
Tasha was out of uniform. Data was not familiar with the outfit she was wearing. She had on a long, colorful, sheer skirt that reached her calves. Her upper body was covered by a top that crossed her breasts, leaving her abdomen exposed. Her hair was styled differently than her typical dual braids, giving her a softer look.
"Captain Picard ordered me to escort you to Sickbay, Lieutenant."
"Did he say when?"
Data's head tilted fractionally. "I'm sure he meant now, so you should get into uniform."
"But I got out of my uniform for you, Data. Do you know how old I was when I was abandoned?"
The sudden shift in the conversation had no effect on the android. He replied without hesitation, "Chronological age? No. I'm afraid I'm not familiar with..."
"Five. Five years old, but I survived. I learned how to stay alive. I was fifteen before I escaped that world."
"I'm sorry. I did not know."
"And what I want now is gentleness, and joy, and love. From you Data. You are fully functional aren't you."
"Of course, but..."
"How fully?
"In every way of course. I am programmed in multiple techniques, a broad variety of pleasuring."
"Oh you jewel, that's exactly what hoped."
Tasha grabbed Data's hand and lead him into her bedroom.
~~Star Trek: TNG~~
"Computer, how many life signs do you detect in these quarters."
"There is one life sign currently detected."
"Computer, how many holographic characters are currently active in this instance?"
"There are zero holographic characters currently active."
T'Pol was surprised by the computer's response. She was certain she'd seen a person moving in the corner of her vision, but the computer reports no other people or holographic characters active.
Reassured by the computer's report, she closed her eyes and continued moving through her forms, trying to find peace. Four movements later, she could hear breathing over her left shoulder. She quickly turned and assumed a defensive stance. But there was no one there.
Spotting movement to her right periphery, she turned her head to track the target, but as she centered her view, she lost sight of whatever had attracted her attention.
She needed to leave. Whatever was in here with her was avoiding detection by the sensors and was elusive enough that she couldn't get her eyes on it. Not revealing itself, implied hostile intentions. Tyson believed she contracted the pathogen spreading across the ship. If others weren't avoiding contact, what sense was there in her isolating? It was spreading regardless of her presence and she was already infected, so isolating wasn't keeping her safe. She would be safer around Tyson than she was here with an unknown threat.
"Computer, door." A brief pause and she asked, "Computer, locate Recruit Tyson."
"Recruit Tyson is on deck twelve, Biolab three."
The door to Tyson's quarters appeared a few feet to the left of where she was standing. It looked terribly out of place; a single doorway projected in the middle of the clearing. As she left the quarters, she heard a communication being broadcast. Her single-minded focus let her ignore it, it wasn't from Tyson, so it didn't matter.
T'Pol headed out into the ship to find her companion.
~~Star Trek: TNG~~
"Acting Captain Welsey Crusher?" Picard spat out incredulously. "Number one, McDougall, get that boy out of Engineering!"
Tyson
Title: Recruit
Race: Human Hybrid
Level: 5 (4,850/61,000)
Energy Credits: 69,885
Hit Points: 660/660
Strength: 23
Dexterity: 11
Constitution: 22
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 12
Charisma: 11
Luck: 5
Unspent Attribute Points: 1
Racial Traits:
Vulcan Senses
Half-Betazoid Sense
Vulcan Strength
Vulcan Metabolism
Klingon Constitution
Status Effects:
Polywater Contagion: Stage 2
Observe: Lvl 12
Meditation: Lvl 0 - Locked
Engineering: Lvl 30
Computers: Lvl 11
Physical Science: Lvl 15
Martial Arts: Lvl 22
Athletics: Lvl 10
Medicine: Lvl 25
Social: Lvl 27
Cooking: Lvl 15
Energy Weapons: Lvl 9
Melee Weapons: Lvl 9
Stealth: Lvl 8
Perform: Lvl 8
Language Skills:
Cetacean: Lvl 5
Klingon: Lvl 2
Vulcan: Lvl5
Perks:
'Out of Nowhere'
'The Anti-Worf Effect'
'Universal Translator'
'Culinary Visualization'
'Your Hands Clean'
'Grand Theft Starship'
'Free Love'
'Power Eater'
'Apt Pupil'
'Master with your Hands'
'Binding Foods'
'Direct Control Disruption'
Drawbacks:
'Q and U'
AN: Thanks for keeping with the story! Follows, Favorites and Reviews are greatly appreciated.
Question for Reviewers: Recaps at the beginning of the chapter, Yay or Nay? I know I appreciate it when there's a gap between updates. Hasn't been an issue since I'm updating frequently, but that'll slow down after this ep.