Jack In The Box

 Episode Name:  Jack In The Box

   Written By:  Starfleet

         Cast:  Edwards, Laco, Leah, Starfleet and Tyler.

  Produced By:  Starfleet

  Directed By:  Starfleet

     Aired On:  Wed Jun 19 11:12:18 2002

     Stardate:  52423.8

Time: Tue Jun 18 20:23:04 2002

Stardate: 52422.3

Tyler's standing near the forcefield ring which occupies the center of Science Lab II, scanning it with a tricorder as the other two officers enter. She snaps the tricorder closed and approaches them. "Sirs," she says. "The preparations are complete and I think we're ready." There is an unspoken 'again' in her tone, though she doesn't say it aloud.

Edwards strolls inside, clasping his hands behind his back, and glances around the lab briefly. "Great." he comments. "Can't wait to see what happens."

Laco nods, but doesn't say anything.

Tyler replies to Edwards, "Let's hope there isn't much to see. Lt. Laco, if you would please take the transporter controls. Commander, if you would, please release the phaser lockouts and have a security team standing by." She gives Edwards a pointed look as she moves to a portable console near Laco's portable multi-purpose console.

Laco takes the transporter controls, waiting for the word to commence.

Edwards speaks up, "Computer, release the phaser lockouts. Authorization: Edwards One One Seven Kappa." That taken care of, he hits his combadge, "Edwards to Security. Please send a security team to the Aegis' Science Lab Two, armed with phaser rifles."

"Lockouts released," replies the computer.

Tyler says, "Aye, sir," is the response from Security. Edwards' comm badge goes silent."

Tyler double-checks something on the console and moves back to the terminal that Laco is at. "Does everything look okay?" she asks him.

Laco looks down at his console, "Yeah, everything seems to be alright."

Edwards does his best to be the most gosh-darned greatest observer he can be. In other words, he watches.

Tyler asks Laco, "You've encountered one of these things face to face, haven't you? A Lithian, I mean." She's burning time as they wait for security.

Laco nods.

Tyler asks him, "So.. What happened?"

Laco shrugs, "It just kind of lumbered around, smashing things. Threw me across the fighter bay...Seemed about as smart as a cockroach.

Edwards remarks, "Bloodthirsty cockroach."

Tyler wrinkles her nose up at Edwards' remark, but then looks back to Laco. "You're not worried about releasing this one?"

Laco says, "Not really, I mean, they didn't seem that hard to kill."

Tyler glances to Edwards, then to Laco. "Not hard? It took two people with phasers on setting 13 to drop the first one we encountered. Unless, of course, you've got an idea we've not thought of.."

Laco says, "Whats so tough about that? I mean, sure, it can absorb phaser energy, but with a full security team, phasers already leveled at it...it won't get anywhere."

Edwards adds, for Laco, "Hopefully."

Wendy doesn't look so sure. "I'll take your word for it, Lieutenant."

About that time, Vespasian and another security ensign step in. Vespasian walks over to Edwards. "You called, sir?" asks the swarthy Italian Ensign. Both are armed with phaser rifles.

Edwards glances toward Vespasian and nods, "That I did. Both of you, turn up your rifles to the highest setting and point them over there." He points toward the forcefield ring.

Vespasian nods. "Aye sir. Sixteen, did I hear that right, sir?"

Edwards just nods at that question and turns his attention toward the ring.

Vespasian looks between Edwards and the other Ensign. "You heard the man. Pump it up, max. And pray that bulkhead on the other side doesn't lead to space, right?"

Tyler comments, "It doesn't. Commander, on your mark."

Edwards states simply, "Go for it."

Wendy pulls her tricorder out and prepares the forcefield control. "Lt. Laco, energize."

Laco slides his hands along the console, energizing.

<CONTEST> Laco contests his Shipboard Systems (Transporter) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

Leah aims where she's told, phaser rifle on it's highest possible setting. As she's given the word, she fires.

The high-pitched whine of the Aegis transporters engage. The annular confinement beam's bars light up under Laco's fingertips as he deftly makes the necessary adjustments to bring the Lithian out of the transporter. Shimmering in the ring, eight feet tall, starts to form the image of a vaguely humanoid-shaped creature. As it coalesces, the bluish crystalline facets being to take shape. "Let me know when, Lt. Laco!"

Laco nods, and continues working.

Edwards does his best to not show any of the apprehension that he's feeling as the Lithian begins to take shape.

Leah stares at the creature, jaw dropping just slightly. She keeps her rifle aimed at it, palms sweating.

Vespasian mutters, "What the..."

The crystalline creature takes full corporeal form and the transporter disengages.

Laco says, "Alright, its done."

Tyler punches her tricorder just at the creature steps forward. It sizzles against the forcefield as it tries to press forward. The harmonic variance forcefield, however, is holding the creature. For now.

Vespasian swallows. "What the hell is that thing?" he mutters to Leah.

Leah murmurs back to Vespasian, flexing her fingers a bit where they grip her phaser rifle tightly, "I don't know... but I've got a bad feeling about it." She hasn't yet taken her eyes off the Lithian.

Edwards nods slowly, as he considers the Lithian, and looks toward Tyler, "So far, so good, eh?"

Laco peers closely at the lithian.

There is a metallic hiss as the creature tries to rear back and punch at the forcefield. Its hand stops dead as the forcefield offers its resistance.

Tyler watches it for a moment, then looks to Edwards. She lets out the breath she was holding and tension floods from her. "So far, sir." She offers him a smile and looks to Laco. "Excellent work, sir. On transporting, and coming up with the idea for the dual field."

Laco nods absently, then works to roll his console closer to the field, so he can get a better look.

The Lithian makes no sound other than the crunching noise it makes as its crystalline form moves, like a creaking ship. It turns in place and tries to punch its way out again, but again, it is stopped by the field.

Edwards masks his emotions, staying completely neutral, and returns his gaze toward the Lithian. "Now what?" he inquires.

Leah doesn't spare a side glance to anyone else, but maintains her focus, watching the creature curiously now as it tries to escape without success.

Tyler replies, "Now we run experiments. See if we can establish contact. Run some scans on it. Try to figure it out without taking it apart. For now." She moves about five feet from the forcefield and starts running her tricorder up and down. "It's about ninety percent silicon," states Tyler. "Only the most minimal amounts of carbon. Some trace metals.."

Vespasian continues to stare at the creature, shifting the weight of the rifle in his hand.

Laco looks to Edwards, "May I perform scans, or am I still forbidden, sir?"

Edwards shrugs at Laco's question, "Don't look at me."

Tyler glances to Laco. "You can scan it, but no copies of the data can be issued. Enjoy the view while you can, Lieutenant."

The creature turns in the direction of Laco and tries to slam its arm into him. It is repelled by the forcefield with a bzzzzzt.

Laco grins at the beast, "Heh, won't be hurling me across any shuttlebays today, will you buddy?"

Edwards comments, "Let's not taunt the alien, Mr. Laco."

Leah smirks slightly at Laco's words, keeping her aim perfectly centered on the Lithian. After a moment though, she frowns and looks to Laco. "What is this thing?" Of course that's classified.

Laco smiles a little, still looking at the Lithian, "Sorry Commander."

"It's called a Lithian, Ensign," replies Tyler. She snaps the tricorder shut.

"Oh," Leah says softly when she gets the short answer to her question. "Unfriendly looking, isn't he?" She quiets after that, aim still on the thing behind the forcefield.

The Lithian presses its body against the field, trying to push itself through. The field buzzes but does not yield.

Vespasian asks Edwards, "Sir? Isn't this the same kind of creature that broke Lt. Poole's back, and landed Lt. Dakin in the infirmary with no arm?"

<CONTEST> Laco contests his Shipboard Systems (Sensors) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

Edwards umms, "That's, ah, certainly possible, Ensign Vespasian. Just prepare to shoot it down if it somehow breaks free, okay?"

Leah 's eyes narrow and this time she removes her gaze from the creature, looking over first at Vespasian then to Edwards. "This is what hurt Rann?" Thank goodness she's not known for her itchy trigger finger.

Laco glances at his console for a moment. "Ensign Tyler, I'd like to try something, if I could..."

The Lithian turns in place as if confused.

Tyler frowns at it, but looks to Laco when he speaks to her. "What do you have in mind, sir?"

Laco says, "Can you raise a field around the creature that will block out any sort of transmissions the creature might be recieving?"

Vespasian nods once to Edwards, "You got that right, sir." He glances a little at Morgan and gives her an apologetic shrug.

Tyler asks, "You believe it is receiving transmissions, Lt?"

Edwards frowns at that, "You think its receiving transmissions, Laco?

Laco says, "Well, I don't see any sort of brain wave activity, so maybe its just some kind of drone. Most likely, I just can't detect them, but its worth a shot, I think."

Leah frowns at both Edwards and Vespasian, but manages to focus back on the creature, aiming anger and hatred at it.

Tyler hmmms. "Perhaps via subspace, it could be receiving something. We've got all the field emitters in this room hooked up to that ring, though, so I doubt we could generate a third field. Scan in this subspace frequency, though and maybe we can see if it is picking up something." She moves to the console and taps in a frequency for Laco.

GAME: Laco spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Laco contests his Shipboard Systems (Communications) skill vs a difficulty of Difficult and Succeeds!

Laco says, "I think I found something...Is there a holographic emitter available?"

Edwards furrows his brow and looks to Tyler, waiting to see what she has to say.

As Tyler is about to respond, the Lithian rears back its head and bangs it against the forcefield with a loud buzz. A proboscis slides out of where the thing's head is, and it spits a viscous blue liquid /through the forcefield/, hitting Laco on the side of the face and spraying the terminal he stands at. Tyler yelps loudly.

Laco screams, and falls to the floor.

"Lieutenant!" Leah moves Laco's side, though her eyes are on the creature... she doesn't intend on getting hit by the liquid that's hit Laco.

Vespasian screams, "Holy shit!" He levels his phaser up and fires without waiting for an order. The beam punches against the forcefield and the Lithian leans against the field.

"Don't fire! Move back!" Edwards orders, as he moves to grab a hold of Laco's arm and drag him away from the forcefield. "Call Medical!"

Laco thrashes, and continues screaming, while rubbing at his face.

Tyler shouts, "NO! DON'T SHOOT THE FIELD!" She scrambles to help Leah get Laco out of the way.

Vespasian drops the phaser to his side and backpedals as ordered.

"Aye, sir," Leah replies immediately, keeping her weapon in front of her and aimed. Tapping her combadge once, she says, "Ensign Leah to Sickbay, we need an emergency medical team in Science Lab II on the Aegis on the double!"

<CONTEST> Edwards contests his Intellect (Perception) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!

Edwards swears under his breath. "How the hell did it do that?!" he asks, looking to Tyler, as he pulls on Laco's arm.

There is loud hum in the air, that grows louder. Edwards and Wendy recognize it - it is the Hand of the Artifact as it primes to strike. Tyler yells, "NO!" as a bolt of white energy from Laco's terminal slams into the stricken science officer, sustaining on him. Leah, Edwards and Tyler are knocked back as if they've stuck a fork in an EPS shunt and their hair stands on end. The arc of light still dances across Laco's chest.

Laco begins to convulse.

Leah flies back and lands on her butt, nearly losing her grip on her rifle. She struggles to get back up, her breath coming raggedly. "What...?"

Edwards grits his teeth as he's knocked away from the zapped Laco. Ow ow ow. He doesn't say anything as he moves to try and regain his feeting.

Tyler yelps again as she is knocked back from the electrical charge. The arc of light picks Laco up off the ground several feet as the convulsing man thrashes and shakes as if in an epileptic fit. As quickly as it began, it drops him again, heavily. The ends of his hair smokes, and a large black patch is on the chest of his uniform. Where the creature spit on him cannot be seen from the angle. The room fills with an eerie silence and Vespasian fills it with another, "Holy shit."

The Lithian pounds its fist against the forcefield with a metallic buzz.

Managing to get up on one knee, Leah raises her phaser rifle and aims at the Lithian... "What in the hell was that?"

Edwards climbs up to his feet unsteadily, trying to pat his hair back down, and looks between everyone. And curses. "Laco?" he asks, doing his best to focus on the charred Lieutenant.

Laco does not reply.

Tyler swallows, pushing herself up. "I, uh, d-don't know," she lies. "Commander, we've got to get that thing back into the transporter buffer."

Leah looks to Edwards, "Orders sir?... I think I might be able to handle that transporter...."

Edwards shakes his head adamantly, "It spit all over the console." He glances toward that console with a deep frown.

"Tell me if that thing sticks out it's tongue again..." Leah says as she makes for the nearest console and starts working, setting her rifle down as she does so.

About one quarter of Laco's face, across his cheek and up into the hair near his temple, is where the goo hit. Except there is no goo. Where it spit, the skin ends and a crystalline substance begins.

"No worries, Morgan. If it does, I'll shoot it," replies Vespasian.

Edwards starts to speak to Leah, pauses, and shakes his head. "Vespasian, check on the damn med team that's supposed to be here." he orders, as he moves to eye Laco. "Damn."

GAME: Leah spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Leah (claiming advantage) contests her Shipboard Systems (Transporter) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!

The whine of the transporter engages, and with help from Tyler adjusting the field harmonics, Leah manages to get the genie back into the bottle and the Lithian disappears in a glimmer of blue energy. A medical team files in, puts Laco on a gurney and wheels him out quickly, leaving the room quiet and empty as they file out. "I'll go with them, sir, just to make sure everything is safe," says Vespasian, and he follows the medical team to the infirmary.