The Arthropod Conundrum

 Episode Name:  The Arthropod Conundrum

   Written By:  Belgarath

         Cast:  Belgarath, Laco, Lightfoot and P'Trell.

  Produced By:  Starfleet

  Directed By:  Belgarath

     Aired On:  Wed Aug 14 02:25:59 2002

     Stardate:  52557.3

Time: Tue Aug 13 23:39:00 2002

Stardate: 52557.1

The Thomas Paine has been out on a test run, checking to see if certain existing flaws have been fixed or if any new problems will come up. It is six lightyears away from the station, along the Neutral Zone, when sensors pick up unusually high concentrations of leptons.

P'Trell reads information from his PADD which he sets to the side of the command station when his sensitive hearing picks up the sound of Laco's sensors chirping. "What have we got there Laco?"

Lightfoot stands at a science station. Apparently he has drawn an x-training watch today.

Laco contests his Shipboard Systems (Sensors) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!

Laco taps away at his console, "Some kind of lepton-based activity in a nearby star system. The leptons are preventing a clear scan."

Afterwards, the comm system picks up a faint, automated distress signal from within the nearby system.

P'Trell says, "They do that, damned things." When he hears the distress call his brow furrows. "Looks like we're probably going to get a closer look. Laco see if we can cut through the lepton disturbance and open a channel with the vessel."

Lightfoot looks up from his station. He eyes over to P'Trell. Then self-consciously looks back at his own station.

Laco says, "It's actually coming from a planet in the system, sir. Looks to be inhabited..." A moment's pause, "And nobody seem to be responding. Perhaps the Siinogans attacked them, putting up one of those lepton shields of theirs to block out any communications. Or maybe it's a lure...""

P'Trell thinks for a moment. "A definite possibility. What do we know about any inhabited worlds in that sector?"

Laco says, "Teirian settlement."

P'Trell says, "Well, if it's a legitimate distress call we can't leave them hanging. Comm, send a message back to 419 apprising them of the situation and our change in plans, I don't want to get us stuck out there. Then helm, plot a course for the settlement. Mr. Lightfoot, are we set up to provide medical care to the Teirians if need be?"

Lightfoot shakes his head. "I'm sorry sir. We're badly underequipped. I believe I'm the only medical officer on board."

Laco begins working his console.

The pilot brings the Thomas Paine toward the Teirian planet. After a while of impulse travel, the world appears as blotches of brown on blue.

P'Trell says, "Are the sensors picking anything up?"

Lightfoot stands at the medical station. He is busy reading some text. Apparently boning up on Teirian physiology.

Laco says, "Nothing much, there are a few ships out there, but nothing that looks Siinogan."

P'Trell says, "Mr. Lightfoot, do a bio-sweep of the area, look for insectoid life signs. Mr. Laco, can you pinpoint where the signal is coming from and if so can you open a channel or is there too much interference?"

Lightfoot contests his Shipboard Systems (Sensors) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!

Lightfoot looks up from his scan and says. "I can't detect anything of the sort sir." He says sheepishly.

Laco works at his console...but after a minute or two he shakes his head. "It's coming from a Teirian outpost, and I made it through, but nobody is responding."

P'Trell says, "Keep trying to raise them. Helm bring us over closer to the outpost. Once we're in scanner range sweep the outpost for life signs Mr. Lightfoot, and another thing, never look upset to tell me that there are no Siinogans around again."

Lightfoot frowns trying to figure out what that was supposed to mean. He sighs and then works the controls. "Sir. The Leptons are interfering with the biosign scans."

Laco says, "Still no response from the colony."

The ship has established low orbit to help the sensors - which is apparently still ineffective.

P'Trell sighs. "Well this is damned frustrating. See if we can't hail some of the other ships in the area and see if they've registered the distress call. "

Lightfoot looks over from his scanner. "Well sir. It could be well.." He trails off.

Laco says, "Oh...uh..yikes....they're all debris, sir. Every one has been destroyed..."

P'Trell says, "It could be well what Lightfoot?"

Lightfoot looks like he let the cat out of the bag. "Well sir. The best way to help these people would be to beam down. Though...Giving some of the reports I have been reading I would recommend decontamination gear be issued to any landing party."

The ship continues on its path in the geosynchronous orbit above the outpost.

P'Trell says, "Make it so although I'd suggest against beaming with this much interference. Let's take a runabout down but first send a message to the Teirian homeworld to let them know what we're doing, I don't want them thinking that we're responsible for this."

Lightfoot nods and starts to make the preparations.

Laco scratches his arm.

P'Trell rises and says. "Lt. Tovek you have the bridge, Lightfoot and Laco you're with me." he then heads towards the turbolift."

The approach vector and landing angle of the runabout prevented the occupants from seeing the full damage done to the outpost. Sensors seem to not be functioning optimally here as well, as the place is flooded with leptons.

Lightfoot looks upon the scene of distruction. He has seen death before but not quite like this. He tries to avoid retching in his suit.

Laco tucks his phaser into his belt and flips out his tricorder, trying to scan.

Far below, the settlement at the bottom of the plateau is as equally devastated.

Laco contests his Personal Equipment (Tricorder) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!

P'Trell says, "Alright, I've got a bad feeling about this. Let's fan out but stay within eyesight of each other. There are only three of us and splitting up would be stupid. Let's look for any survivors and at the same time try to find out what's generating all of these leptons."

Lightfoot contests his Intellect (Perception) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

GAME: P'Trell spends a courage point.

P'Trell (claiming advantage) contests his Intellect (Perception) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

Laco contests his Intellect (Perception) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

Lightfoot composes himself again. Starts to look about the dead. He whips out his own tricorder for a reading.

Laco continues scanning away.

Lightfoot contests his Personal Equipment (Tricorder) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!

P'Trell (claiming advantage) contests his Personal Equipment (Tricorder) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

P'Trell's brow furrows at his tricorder readings. "Alright I'm picking up the remains of a torpedo here that appears to be the source of the Leptons. Before we go let's try to beam it up to the Paine, I'd like to have a look at it later. Have we picked up any life signs?"

Lightfoot shakes his head. "No sir. Nothing but the dead." He looks about the area.

Laco drops to one knee and extracts a chunk of chitinous something from the earth. "Hmm...looks Siinogan."

P'Trell says, "Okay this isn't sitting right with me. The Teirians don't have the firepower to stave off a full scale Siinogan attack like this. Let's check the settlement out but be careful. We aren't equipped to tangle with a large Siinogan ground force ourselves. Let's also make periodic check of our compins, I don't want to discover we've lost radio contact too late to do anything about it."

Lightfoot nods and follows scanning as he goes. "Well. The Teirians are supposed to be using bio weapons in there war. Perhaps they came up with some sort of bugspray sir?"

Laco gestures to the ruined compound, "Sir, they obviously *didn't* have the firepower."

Everything is quiet; not even an animal can be heard.

P'Trell begins to lead the party down towards the settlement. "Then where are the Siinogans? They wouldn't go to the trouble of taking over a place just to abandon it?"

Lightfoot frowns. "Perhaps they were after something sir. And once they got it they left?"

Laco nods.

P'Trell fiddles with his tricorder as they approach the settlement. "What in the galaxy could Teirians have that the Siinogans would want to take with them....unless...there was a bio weapons lab here and they were working on their bugspray Mr. Lightfoot. Everyone scan for viruses and possibly artificially generated bacteria if they can."

Lightfoot nods and begins to scan.

Laco does the same.

After going down the steep passage from the high hill down to the settlement below, one can see virtually the same scene. Buildings destroyed and some Teirian bodies lying motionless on the ground.

P'Trell scans the area carefully looking for signs of biological weaponry or a structure large enough to house a lab.

Lightfoot continues to scan the area. He is silent due to the dead.

Laco says, "You know, maybe we ought to try to knock out some of this radiation. It's so strong, I think there's a good chance it's still being generated. Though I don't know for sure, maybe it's just the waste from their weapons."

Going through the settlement, nothing new turns up. The largest building, now partially in ruins, looks like a storage facility. There are, however, no signs of machinery complexed enough to be out of place for a colonial settlement, and there are no trace of any biochemical agents.

P'Trell says, "How do you propose we get rid of the radiation?"

Lightfoot looks over to Laco expectantly.

Laco shrugs, "Try scanning to find where its strongest, and look around?"

The middle of the settlement seems to have the worst damage, with most of the nearby buildings collapsing away from the epicenter.

P'Trell says, "Well we've already found the torpedoes that appear to be the source. We could have the Paine set up a containment field and try to beam them aboard."

Lightfoot nods. "Perhaps we should just leave and wait for the Teirian government to arrive sir? I don't know the proper burial rights for their people."

Laco continues looking around.

Lightfoot nods. "Perhaps we should just leave and wait for the Teirian government to arrive sir? I dont know the proper burial rights for there people."

Laco continues looking around.

P'Trell says, "We aren't going to touch the bodies, just get the torpedoes offworld if we can."

Lightfoot nods and stands aside then. He has no knowledge of moving torpedoes.

Laco mutters to himself, "About time we replaced the one that Dade blew up."

P'Trell taps his combadge. "P'Trell to the Thomas Paine. Can you get a transporter lock on the planet's surface?"

Laco looks at the chunk of Siinogan he picked up a little closer.

A bit of static emits from P'Trell's combadge, but the message is clear for the most part. "Thomas -bzt-aine here. We can barely detect it, but -bzt- might be able to."

P'Trell says, "Do it, just tell engineering to set up a containment field around the transporter pad. This is a Siinogan torpedo."

Lightfoot looks about the area. He shivers. He whispers. "Ghosts..."

Over the combadge, "Field's up. Attempting to -bzt-port now." Momentarily, blue lights appear around the various parts of the Siinogan torpedo spread around the center of the settlement. The beam keeps going, fading in and out as interference prevents it from getting a stable lock. After a minute of transporter action, the blue lights disappear and the torpedo solidifies. Upon rematerialization, sparks fly up from some of the pieces of the torpedo; one of which blows up in a mini explosion.

P'Trell says, "Thomas Paine, report."

Lightfoot looks about the area. He definitely doesn't look to comfortable.

Laco says, "Uhm...perhaps we should get some distance between us and that torpedo."

"We were able to es-bzt-blish a lock, but couldn't keep it," says the voice in the combadge. "Sensors pick up another one at a higher altitude that may be easier to get."

P'Trell says, "Make it so. Unless either of you have any suggestions I say we make our way back to the runabout."

Lightfoot nods looking rather relieved. "No sir."

Laco says, "No. But maybe we should try scanning the area they beam the torpedo out of on our way out."

As the three of you head back up to the plateau, the voice from P'Trell's combadge returns, "We were able to -bzt- a rear portion of the torpedo. The rest were too saturated with leptons -bzt- get a firm lock."

P'Trell says, "Good enough we're heading back to the runabout. now P'Trell out."

Laco follows P'Trell.

Getting back to the runabout without much trouble other than a good workout, the away team returns to the Thomas Paine and heads home; still without an answer as to why the Siinogans attacked the Teirian outpost.