TD2: Infection

 Episode Name:  TD2: Infection

   Written By:  Kismet

         Cast:  Carlisle, Hurley, Kismet, Krylow, Leres, Lopez 
                and Pellix.

  Produced By:  Starfleet

  Directed By:  Kismet

     Aired On:  Sun Sep 26 10:01:01 2004

     Stardate:  54415.7

Time: Thu Sep 23 19:49:20 2004

Stardate: 54409.5

Station 419's Engineering and Operations Crew reports in for training; their skills will be tested against previous real life scenarios. How these officers react will determine whether or not all pass or fail. Precisely at 2000 hours, Holodeck One in the Dream Factory starts Reta Program Delta Zeta 4. Yellow gridlines on a black cube flash before dissolving when the holodeck program takes affect. A roughly horseshoe-shaped room with the ends of the curved gun-metal gray walls giving way to a single flat wall on which three view-screens display scenes of the surrounding space appears - it's the Station Operations. Along the ceiling, and following the curvature of the walls, is a set of transparent aluminum viewports, giving a breathtaking view of the stars above and the Anomaly beyond. Sitting pristinely upon the command chair is a non-descript humanoid figure in a Starfleet Engineering Uniform. One Lieutenant Reta as previously seen waits for the arrival of its class, yet appears slightly different, more in a blue-metallic than silver-gray.

Carlisle walks in, her hands carefully placed behind her back. She simply moves to a chair and waits.

Leres comes in along with Christine and waits for the class to get kicked off. She does have her PADD in her hand, a stylus in the other, ready to take notes, or do whatever's needed.

Krylow makes his way into the room just a moment after Carlisle. He too moves to a seat quietly, taking a seat and waiting.

Pellix finds his way towards the Engineering console by sheer habit, trailing a finger along its edge as he settles in behind it.

Carlisle settled down at her usual console. Sensors and comm systems.

Crisp steps carry in Lopez to join the others in the scenario, crowding in unfamiliarly, sweeping the team with her eyes to observe the departments and sections represented.

Carlisle sets a padd down on the side of the console, and almost automatically flicks her fingers over it, setting up the monitoring programs. Only once that's done does she look up, then duck her head and scratch the back of her neck briefly, almost embarassed.

Lieutenant Reta regards its class with the usual mellow and lack-luster expression. Once all have been seated, the trainer stands at parade rest. "Good evening, class. You all have been gathered to undergo training courses which will improve your job performances. Should I need to be called upon, I am Lieutenant Reta. For today's class, I mainly will serve as an observer once my initial lecture is complete." The Lieutenant settles a gaz upon each officer during the course of it speaking, a defined and rather computer like tone. "Tonight's course will re-familiarize you through basic procedures of an emergency situation, paying most attention to the communications aspect and how well the situation is compromised."

Leres slips into the second engineering console by Pellix and settles in getting her console ready for the exercise.

Pellix gives Leres a distracted smile of acknowledgement, attention on the lecturer.

Krylow settles into a tactical station, since the engineering stations are taken. Like many of the others, he's carrying a PADD. He holds that in his left hand, while keying up the console with this right. He glances up to listen to Lt. Reta while he works.

Convinced all are paying attention, the holotrainer continues with its lecture and begins to pace in front of the main console stations. "In a moment, I shall separate you into two teams. Team Alpha will remain here in this replica of Operations, Team Beta will be transported to a replica of this Station's Engineering Core. Tasks will be assigned by the Line Officers who will coordinate with each team. Communication is vital in any emergency situation. Do keep that in mind and maintain contact. How well the teams operate and coordinate will determine if the Station remains intact. Each of you have gone through a similar course at the Academy, this one is no different except for being applied to this Station. You must communicate with each other, coordinate with your teammates, and cease the emergency situation. Do I have any questions before the scenario begins?"

Lopez remains listening, silently reviewing the information that has already been given out. Aside, she applies a firm nod in the direction of Carlisle, seated at the Communications terminal.

Carlisle bites her lip, then nods to the trainer. She catches Lopez' look, and nods to her.

Leres gives a nod to the trainer to indicate her understanding and readiness. She acknowledges Pellix's smile with one of her own, waiting to be assigned.

Krylow nods once, firmly, to the trainer. He's apparently finished his work as he no longer tapping at the console. He is taking a look around the group though to see the others gathered.

Pellix straightens slightly, and tips his head towards Leres. "You and me, apparently," he tells her quietly. "I think the rest are Ops, right?"

Carlisle stays quiet, waiting.

"Engage Reta Program Delta Zeta 4-A," announces the instructor who dissolves away, leaving behind the class in Operations. "Lieutenant Pellix, you will lead Team Alpha." Opposite to what Pellix has said, suddenly, Krylow, Leres, and Lopez vanish in a blue sparkling light, for each has been transported down to the Engineering Core. This, of course, leaves Carlisle in Operations with Pellix. Back at the Core, Lieutenant Reta's voice instructs, "Ensign Krylow, you will lead Team Beta." Silence, save for the chirruping of systems operating normally. It is up to the Line Officers to take the lead.

Pellix puts hands onto hips. "Alright, my name is Lieutenant JG Pellix, when addressing me proper name without title is perfectly acceptable, and also shorter. Give me your name, miss, and what experience you have in ten words or less?" He heads over towards the center of the room, looking over the scene.

Carlisle looks up at Pellix. "Ensign Carlisle. Computers, sensors and communications, operations and repair. Sir." Ten words exactly.

Back at in Engineering, all appears as normal as it should....

Krylow glances to the two others in the room, nodding to Leres whom he knows. Turning to Lopez he smiles softly. "You're new on the station, I believe? I'm Ensign Alek Krylow, Combat Engineer with the TRT team. You are?"

It is stiffness settling into Lopez's back as the transport takes place. It is a nervous posture, that can't be immediately relaxed from. First training exercise, among strangers in a new place. Once in place, naturally she fans to the side to look to the pointman... one Ensign Krylow. "Ensign Ana Lopez, junior Missions. Sir." she says, and looks to the remaining Beta teammate, to see if an introduction is forthcoming.

Leres returns the nod to Krylow and then looks to Lopez, "Since we haven't met, I'm Ensign Gela Leres, Weapons Systems engineer. It's a pleasure to meet you."

While in Operations, the Engineering console and Command Chair console chirrup and flash rapidly.

Pellix comes down the walkway to the Command chair, giving it a dubious look. "Right. The things you humans will do in pursuit of ergonomics." He settles in and swats at the thing to display whatever it wants him to see. "Here we go. Take Engineering, Ensign, if that wasn't immediately apparent."

Carlisle stands and heads towards Engineering, rapidly. "Yes, sir." She had shifted her weight in anticipation of the command, half out of the chair. Eyes on the console, trying to read it even as she walks to it. Trying to determine what, exactly, is wrong.

"Alright, Ensign," Pellix says, watching his readout. "We've got comm signals bouncing around as they shouldn't. Get a fix on how exactly the signals themselves are malfunctioning. Pellix to Engineering."

Carlisle looks and sounds slightly distracted as she acknowledges the command. "Yes, sir." Fingers fly over the console as she tries to do precisely that - what is causing this problem, and how can she fix it? Can she prevent it degrading further?

GAME: Carlisle spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Carlisle (claiming advantage) contests her Shipboard Systems (Communications) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

Carlisle frowns, fingers still flickering. "Working on it, sir. I'm .. not sure what's causing it. Yet."

"Not what's causing it, Ensign, tell me what's actually -happening-," Pellix clarifies. "Record and analyze the signal traffic, see if it's following a pattern or experience regular or artificial interference. Engineering will take care of the hardware."

Carlisle frowns at the board. "Rapid malfunctions over the entire comms array. Like signals are flashing in then stopping, on each channel in no particular pattern. Computer, record and analyse for a pattern, incoming data on channels alpha through sigma, from .." Her eyes flick up fractionally, as her fingers tap. ".... three point five minutes ago." She frowns, and while the computer does that, she keeps working as ordered.

In Engineering, consoles are erupting with emergency signals. Whatever is malfunctioning, the computer wants it corrected immediately.

Krylow is about to say something to Lopez, probably to welcome her to the station, when the systems start to flash. Then he hears to incoming hail from LTJG Pellix. He nods to Leres and Lopez. "Status report on the systems," he says before repsonding to the hail. "Engineering here sir," he says simply, waiting on Pellix.

Pellix's voice is calm and perhaps a bit annoyed. "We've got some comms failures up here, Engineering. We're looking at the signals data, I want you to take a look at the hardware. I also need your name, son."

"Enchanted," Lopez was about to say, but the simulation intrudes on pleasantries with a hundred irritating voices, each one needing, even demanding instantaneous placation. Settling on a console with a flurry on prompts and reroutes, she says, "Getting a probable communications malfunction, here, Sir..." A look aside to Gela.

Leres does a quick check of all the systems. "We've got data bouncing all over the place here, Sir. I'm getting diagnostics protocols put into place now to see if we can pinpoint a problem that way. Permission to do a physical check on equipment, Sir?"

GAME: Leres spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Leres contests her Shipboard Systems (Communications) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!

Krylow responds to Pellix while letting Leres and Lopez. "Ensign Krylow sir. We're seeing problems on this end as well sir. We're going to need a moment to pin down the problem, but we've begun the work." He glances to Leres and nods. "Permission granted. Go to Ensign Leres. Ensign Lopez, can you locate anything to pin point the problem?"

GAME: Lopez spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Lopez contests her Shipboard Systems (Communications) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

Lopez watches the data scrolling, as she searches routine and subroutine for the elusive problem. She winces after a moment's gap elapses between the query and findings. "The malfunction could be occurring a number of places sir. "Decks 5, 20, and the upper Mall... Look like it could be a console in the Neutral Zone, the Fitness Center, or the science lab... still searching."

Leres checks the diagnostics data she gets back. "Sir, the diagnostic seems to be running normally, but it can't put a lock on the malfunction because it bridges across more than one system." She pauses. "It's really weird, it's like whatever the malfunction is, it's corrupting the diagnostics system. Maybe the physical check will give us more information. Checking that now."

In Ops, Pellix responds to Engineering, "Ensign Krylow, stay on the top of it. Ensign Carlisle is analyzing the signal traffic as we speak to locate a pattern." His eyes glue to the Ensign, awaiting further information.

<CONTEST> Carlisle (claiming advantage) contests her Shipboard Systems (Communications) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

Krylow repsonds to Pellix. "Aye, sir. We're working on it now. Initial reports appear to point to failure across several systems. I will get you further information as it becomes available."

Pellix curtly, though polite, responds to Krylow, "Acknowledged, Ensign. Get a lock on the origin, then fix this malfunction before it destroys the entire communication system."

Carlisle snarls suddenly, and turns to Pellix. "Logic bomb, sir. I've ne... hrm." She pauses a moment. "It's latching onto all comms traffic, and making it worse. I recommend shutting down comms, starve it. Compins are on a different system, but if we don't stop it, the bomb might expand into that system to." She turns back to her console, eyes narrowing. "It got into the system through a comms hail. It 'feeds' on com signals, any active signal will let it spread."

Given the lack of new information in Engineering, Krylow's response is simply, "Acknowledged sir."

Pellix nods shortly. "Good work, Ensign." To Krylow, he announces, "The Ensign here has analyzed this malfunction. It appears to be a Logic Bomb. Recommend that all comms traffic be shut down save for compin. We're going to starve it."

Engineering soon has another case on its hands for the Core begins to fluctuate in power casting a flashing glow light upon the crew.

<CONTEST> Lopez contests her Shipboard Systems (Communications) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

<CONTEST> Leres (claiming advantage) contests her Shipboard Systems (Communications) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

GAME: Leres spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Leres (claiming advantage) contests her Shipboard Systems (Weapons Systems) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

Krylow responds to Pellix. "Aye sir, we'll shut the system down." He turns to Leres and Lopex. "Let's get the com system offline immediately." He glances to the Warp Core and frowns. "Alright people, we've got two problems now. Lopez, you take the communications system. Leres, you get me status on the core." He pauses for a moment and the says over the com to Pellix. "We're now tracking problems with the warp core. I'll give you stats on that as I get it."

Lopez squints against the strobe effect cast on what she's trying to work through, cursing lowly under her breath at the slippery bug every touch of the console. "Sir," she prompts all of a sudden. "I've got a read on the origin. It was the Neutral Zone console."

GAME: Krylow spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Krylow (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Sensors) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

Leres hrms as she taps furiously at her console. "Actually...it looks like there are two seperate logic bombs. There is one at the Neutral Zone console which is the one effecting the com systems. There is another one at the console at Deck 21, the shuttle bay, is causing problems in the weapons systems. Shields are down to 60, which could easily account for the fluctuations in the core." She taps furiously as she talks, still concentrating. "IT seems that the engineering securities killed the bomb on 21, but missed a Trojan Horse that seems to have rode in on the bomb. That's what's causing the weapons flare up, which is the problem with the core." She adds, "It's currently eating its way through the shared files, like a virus."

Krylow nods to Leres and Lopez. "Good work people. Let's keep at it. Let's try and isolate the systems from each other to prevent further spread." He himself is working at one of the consoles now. "I'm reading problems with the shields as well." He frowns and then says to his com channel. "We appear to have attacks originating in The Neutral Zone and on Deck 21 in the shuttle bay. Recommend upgraded alert status Lt. Pellix to lock down the station."

GAME: Leres spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Leres (claiming advantage) contests her Systems Engineering (Weapons) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

<CONTEST> Lopez contests her Systems Engineering (Communication Systems) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Fails!

"Acknowledged, sir," Lopez responds, turning her efforts towards benching the comms systems. "No good," she says. "The malfunction appears to be blocking us from shutting Communications off. The beast doesn't want to sleep."

Leres continues working on the problem. Her concentration is completely on her task at hand. "Okay, I've managed to kill the shield malfunction. I managed to stop it as it reached deck 25." She gets a confused look as she goes on. "However...it appears that it has evolved and separated into a bipartite. The bipartite has hit our environmental systems. Deck 18 is now having Andorian type frigid cold weather. And today on Deck 3 it'll be sunny, and humid with highs in the nineties."

The Warp Core blinks once to douse Engineering into darkness, then flips immediately on after a second. The computer informs the crew, "Environmentals offline," chirrup-bleeeeeep, "in thir--" slur bleeeeep, "twenty seconds." But the team hasn't the time to respond. Up in Operations, all consoles have flared to life.

Pellix acknowledges and orders to Krylow, "Priority is shields. This station will not be left unprotected." He glances down at the command chair's console, eyes twitching. "Ensign Carlisle," he remembers information from earlier, thus cutting off his order. His coms hail to Engineering is shutdown, then re-instated via direct compin hail. "Lieutenant JG Pellix to Ensign Krylow." In waiting for the officer to respond, he orders Carlisle, "Ensign, assist Engineering in shutting down communications to isolate this Logic Bomb. Then, I want you to locate where the malfunction is occurring with the environmental systems. We have a case of viruses and bombs this evening. I want each stamped out."

. o O Leres thinks "Okay you stupid bug. I will squash you! If I can just find you..."

Carlisle nods. "Shutting down comms, sir." Her eyes and fingers flicker, as she works. "Will then work on environmental. Heard and under...." A pause as she concentrates on something. ".... stood."

Krylow taps his compin. "Ensign Krylow here."

GAME: Carlisle spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Carlisle (claiming advantage) contests her Systems Engineering (Communications) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!

Pellix raps onto the command chair's console thus ordering the Station into Red Alert Status. "Good, Ensign." To Krylow, he responds via compin, "You'll notice the red alert. Ensign Carlisle will be shutting down communications. I want your team to stamp out these bugs. At all costs, environmentals must not be offline."

. o O Carlisle thinks "Thank the bajoran gods for .. ooooh no. No no no. No you don't, little baby. Mumma's going to shut you off."

Carlisle says, "Comms shut down, sir, going for envir... oh no. It's coming in through the sensors. Want me to starve it, or take environmental?"

Carlisle's fingers are flickering even as she speaks, presumably in anticipation of a command.

Pellix shakes his head. "Shutting down sensors will cut us off from locating this bug. Find its location, patch to Engineering ASAP so that they can cut it off at the pass."

Carlisle continues her tapping and typing, looking for where, precisely, to cut it off. She frowns. "Checking ... external sensors, internal sensors.. can we surround it in gaps? Kind of .. like cutting fire breaks? As long as it doesn't leap the gaps."

The Warp Core hums vigorously as it begins to vibrate and convulse in a sporadic blue-light display. Klaxons rise. Red alert and the malfunctions pitch Engineering into darkness save for back-up power. No sooner than one can say it couldn't get worse it does. Gusts of wind blast through the room sending a few nameless engineers off the upper deck, plummeting to the Core's base level.

GAME: Krylow spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Krylow (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Transporter) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!

Krylow continues to work at his console as Pelliz gives his orders. "Aye sir, we're working on it." He glances up to the core and frowns. "Transporters are clean and offline. Let's get environmental and the core under control." He himself continues to work as he gives his orders, though he does continue to speak to Pellix. "Also recommend that the Aegis and the Thomas Paine discontinue all interactions with the station to prevent spread to them."

Pellix answers into his combadge, "Affirmative, Ensign. Dispatching recommendations to Paine and Aegis. Ensign Carlisle managed to shut down communications, but it appears this bug shifted into sensor systems. She is now attempting to locate its origin."

Lopez's heart thumps into her throat as the sickening sound of an engineer contacting the deck is heard some feet away. Struggling to stay focused, she observes the visual as the 'malfunction' skuttles through the systems. "Look at you go, you little..." Her hands remain in constant motion now. "Be advised, this thing is overriding Commander Ghorev's and Lieutenant Havaris' security protocols-- the standard Starfleet programs aren't even tripping it up. Its like its rewriting itself to get by us, Sir... like its thinking, almost." She hunches low over her console to avoid blasts of air throwing debris-- human or otherwise, her way. "Water through a funnel," she mutters, unnerved.

Leres looks to Krylow, "Sir? Perhaps if we have more than one person take on each portion of it. Trap it in between two of us so that we can stop it from spreading? Perhaps have two of us take on sensors and two of us take on environmental? If we come at it that way, perhaps we can surround them and defeat them?"

Krylow frowns again at the events in Engineering. "Computer, medical emergency in Engineering." He mutters, "It would be nice to shutdown the systems to clear it, but that isn't going to work." He glances to Leres and nods. "I'm not sure if that will help, but let's work on that." He pauses for a moment, before continuing. "We've got Coms and Transporters offline. We need to keep Enironmental and senors online. You and I will work on those Ensign Leres. Ensign Lopez, start checking through the other systems. If its clean and non critical, shut it down."

. o O Krylow is starting to get frustrated dealing with systems he isn't used to.

<CONTEST> Lopez contests her Shipboard Systems (Sensors) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

"Replicators," Lopez says, worming her tedious way through the systems, shutting down non-critical non-infected systems, and speaking the names as she goes. "Holographics. Transporters..." She continues to work, and turns slightly, "The one in enviromentals, sir, may leap into weapons or engineering. If it goes into Engineering, it gets the core. The one in sensor can get into Security from here, but if that goes offline, it releases the brigs, the classified locks, and all the rest."

Leres nods to Krylow, "Yes, sir. I assume you want me to start with environmentals as they're the most pressing?"

GAME: Krylow spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Krylow (claiming advantage) contests his Systems Engineering (Sensors) skill vs a difficulty of Difficult and Succeeds!

Krylow nods to Lopez. "Good work, keep it up." He looks back to his console, working on something. "Yes Ensign, you take Environmental. I've got sensors." That said he goes back to his work, tapping away at the console, frowning as he does. "Sensors are cleared, but its moving into Security and Operations." He glances up to Leres. "Mister LEres, can you think of anyway to protect Engineering before we attack it in Environmentals?"

GAME: Leres spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Leres (claiming advantage) contests her Shipboard Systems (Environmentals) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

Leres taps at her console and gives a deep sigh. "Okay, I'm analyzing all the points that it could use to jump from system to system. I figure if we can identify those points, identify /how/ it moves, then we can devise a plan to trap it in. So far I'm coming up with a big fat nothing on those points though." She shakes her head. "There's just not any logic to it that I can see. It's like it's really random on purpose. Some of these might even be dummy points. I don't know. I'm working on it."

<CONTEST> Lopez contests her Systems Engineering (Shields) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!

. o O Lopez thinks "Does this thing *never* backtrack? Shields-bug gone, lets try..."

Ensign Lopez winces at her station, and says, "Cleaning up the random transponder phase network, Beta team. Need just a little longer to bring those shields back up to full efficiency..."

Medical arrives as requested by Ensign Krylow. The engineers being tended to finally wake, though one winces and grits teeth. It appears the young NCO's arm snapped when falling off a deck. The environmental systems fritz, going haywire. Soon it starts to snow in Engineering.

Meanwhile in Operations, there's a bigger problem arising. Lieutenant Pellix manages to dispatch the Thomas Paine and Aegis from dock, but what once lurked in sensors now resides in security. The bug engages the tractor beam and keeps the Paine within airspace.

Lieutenant Pellix speaks to Krylow via combadge. "Ensign Krylow, shut off all tractor beam systems. This bug has captured the Paine in a beam." He looks over to the Ensign at communications. "Ensign Carlisle, see what you can do about knocking out this bug."

Carlisle nods. "Yes, sir. Can I have Engineering tell me what they're doing, so I don't override their work?" She flickers her fingers, trying to keep track of exactly what's going on.

Into the bustle of Operations walks one Ensign Christine Hurley, fresh back on the scene and looking none-too-happy about it. She pauses upon seeing the red tracers around the consoles and simply moves to an open Operations console in silence to allow those around her to continue about their duties without interference.

Pellix nods. "Ensign Krylow, have the officer who is currently working on sensors hail Ensign Carlisle directly." To Hurley, he acknowledges, "Ensign, assist Ensign Carlisle on stopping this bug from spreading further." Then he starts to work on pinpointing the bug's current location.

<CONTEST> Kismet contests Pellix's Shipboard Systems (Security) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

Lopez taps her com pin, "Ensign Lopez to Ensign Carlisle? We've got the location of the bug in Operations, Deck One as we speak."

Carlisle taps her com pin "Thanks, Lopez. Right where I am. Let's try to nail it before it disables my consoles." She flickers her fingers, trying to find a way to isolate it.

Carlisle looks at her console, then turns and yanks a panel off the wall under the security console, and unplugs the console from the main system.

As instructed, Ensign Hurley gets to work with a soft, "Yes, Sir," in Pellix's direction. Immediately, her hands begin working over the console in an attempt to figure out and locate this bug that seems to be causing the commotion.

Before anyone can say more, sparks erupt from Sciences as the console cover pops and flies towards Hurley and Carlisle.

<CONTEST> Carlisle contests her Dodge skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

<CONTEST> Hurley contests her Dodge skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

Lopez speaks to the com, "Acknowledged, Ensign Carlisle. Stand by."

The console spits against the backside of an empty chair, crashing with a clang. Chirrup noise emit from the damaged site and from the guts rises a wired mass. It creeps over the opening, plopping with a thud to the ground. Yellow circuits flash, two beady eyes, in staring and analzying Hurley, Carlisle, and Pellix. From the end of a wirey finger, sparks eject, albeit tiny, short ranged ones.

Pellix draws the phaser attached to the side of the Command Chair, aims, and deploys a shot at this blob of engineering parts. "Stay back from it, Ensigns," he orders as well.

<CONTEST> Kismet contests Pellix's Energy Weapon (Phaser) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

Carlisle backs away, and taps her comsystem "it's in ops. And it's physical."

Parts burst off this blob creature, splattered across the ground. Yet it still slithers towards the female officers, beady circuit eyes on them both.

"Now *that's* a bug," Hurley notes more to herself than anyone, now plastered to her console in her attempt to avoid the flailing console parts in her direction. Her eyes are glued at the beady-eyed blob without so much as even blinking.

Pellix gains ground on the 'bug' and attempts to fire once more but environmentals malfunction once again. His aim is thrown off and the shot lobs into Security's Console. Gravity is lost and all become weightless thus increasing the creature's chances of reaching closer to Carlisle and Hurley.

Carlisle yelps, and shoves off a chair to try to continue to dodge the thing. "Engineering, it's .. a mass of wires, about (size) around. Yellow circuits, fires small sparks. And it's trying to get us."

Hurley pushes away from her station and backs away from the creature, but then the gravity is lost. Poor Christine pales just before turning a slight shade of green and is suddenly at a loss to even be able to respond, seemingly going limp. Well, as limp as one can go in a non-gravity environment.

The dodge spins in air gradually impacting to the side of the creature. Its course diverts in skimming past the two ladies yet it manages to fire off tiny sparks. Lt. Pellix despite being weightless, tries to get a lock on the blob and fires once more.

<CONTEST> Kismet contests Pellix's Energy Weapon (Phaser) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!

<CONTEST> Carlisle contests her Dodge skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!

<CONTEST> Hurley (claiming disadvantage) contests her Dodge skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!

Carlisle continues to try to dodge it, but also tries to observe it. Trying to figure out what it is and how to stop it .. at least, until the point where she gets hit. Ow! She clutches at her left arm with her right hand, and takes her landing against the ceiling on her skull and right shoulder rather than - as planned - on an arm. Oops.

Hurley's hand reaches towards her opposite upper shoulder just after the stray shot. A hint of burned uniform can be seen before her hand covers the new and barely-visible burn. In an attempt to regain her composure, the now-green Ensign looks towards the blob just in time to receive a splattering of sparks against her chest. "Ungh!" escapes from her lips and a glance is shot to Carlisle, "Gravity..."

Lopez's voice comes over Carlisle's com, "You said its PHYSICAL? Acknowledge? ... Stand by, Alpha team, we're on it."

Pellix takes aim, studying very hard, then lobs off another stream of fire. "Ensign Krylow, restore gravity immediately."

<CONTEST> Krylow contests his Systems Engineering (Environmentals) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

Carlisle's hair gets singed, as well. She makes a grab for some suitable handhold with her good arm, and taps her combadge with the singed one. "Acknowledge. It's physical, and ops stinks of burned hair. Or I do."

Pellix gives his order, and Krylow responds through the com link. "Working on its sir." A moment later gravity returns. "Restored," he says, even though its evident.

Hurley reaches out to steady herself, and finds absolutely nothing. She'd watch the blob if she didn't currently see two of them circling around each other methodically, and as such, simply closes her eyes in a further attempt to regain her senses.

Gravity re-engages in Operations. Pellix smacks onto the deck but so does the creature. In crashing, it breaks apart and scatters pieces across the floor. All the remains intact are the circuit beady eyes that gaze and wander, chirruping occassionally and unable to move.

Carlisle's com-chatter sounds rather like "OW! Oh that hurt! Gravity's back. The thing's in pieces - landing hurt it more than it hurt us. Are there more of it?" Physically? Well, the ow is rather obvious. She was on the ceiling. She's now on the floor, and getting up.

It's just as well that her eyes were closed, because the added sensation of falling to the already highly dizzy Hurley is almost too much to bear. She thuds to the deck with another 'ungh' and rolls to her back to gaze up at the ceiling from behind closed eye lids with steady, calming breaths. "Gravity's back," she confirms Krylow's announcement.

Pellix moans, muttering similiar phrases about gravity's return. Into his combadge, he reports to Krylow, "Ensign, the bug has been contained. I will be dispatching Sciences with a containment field for further study. Have you been able to isolate the other bug?"

Down in Engineering, snowfall is reaching an inch.

. o O Krylow thinks "The bug is physical? Good. Now where did I put my explosives..."

Krylow is still working at his console, the snow on his shoulders and in his hair evidence that he hasn't moved. He glances up when he hears Lopez say something about physical, and listens for a moment. "Alright, if the other one is physical then I want to try and contain it. Ensign Lopez and Ensign Leres try and get a lock on it. See if we can beam it out or overwise contain it. I'm going to work on securing the systems attached to enviromentals."

. o O Lopez thinks "Contained! If the one in Sec was physical, the other one is likely to be, as well! I want these computer bug things the deus out of my machina!"

Lopez says with chattering teeth, and a little pile of snow dusted on her head, "Sir, attempting to bring transporter functions back online... reccommend someone else scan to find this thing's location meanwhile. Before I freeze my mealticket off." She begins to attempt punching it through.

<CONTEST> Leres (claiming advantage) contests her Shipboard Systems (Environmentals) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

Leres taps at her console. "I'm looking for it..." She says in a bit of a panic voice. "It's right here." She is backing up at a good clip from her console. "Um....incoming! It's right here in my console."

Yet, seconds after Leres states it's in her console, from above, a plate comes crashing down on top of the Engineering Trio. Echoing chirrups resounds around the Warp Core. It's heeeeeereee.

<CONTEST> Lopez contests her Dodge skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!

<CONTEST> Leres contests her Dodge skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!

<CONTEST> Krylow contests his Dodge skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!

Krylow glances up as Leres warns them. When the plate begins to fall he tries to duck away, but isn't successful. The falling plate catches him on the left shoulder and throws him back.

Attempting to get free, Lopez is also unsuccessful, and gets pinned by the leg.

Leres tries to get out of the way of the plate, but can't. Instead as she's going backwards, like Lopez, she falls, her leg getting pinned by the plate.

A creature of electrical parts looms over the opening, staring down at its prey. It releases a far more menacing chirrup than the one in Operations. Like the snowfall, it leaps down from the ceiling to pounce upon the plate. Tiny sparks flicker at all three officers.

<CONTEST> Leres contests her Dodge skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!

<CONTEST> Lopez contests her Dodge skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!

Krylow pushes himself up from he landed, looking back towards the others. He watches the creature drop down into Engineering. "Send a security team to Main Engineering. The creature is here," says Krylow into his combadge. Hs pushes himself up from the ground and begins to look around for a weapon. He finds something arms length and heavy.

<CONTEST> Lopez contests her Primitive Weaponry (Chair) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!

<CONTEST> Leres contests her Unarmed Combat (Starfleet Martial Arts) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!

Lopez gives a yelp of pain and alarm as the thing leaps down, and swings out with her arms, trying to grab a chair. But when her hands pull, there is significant resistance. No leverage equals no chair. Her career as a professional luchadora is over before it begins. Alas.

Leres gets hit by the sparks from the monster and cries out a little. She's trying to get away and get unpinned. She finally gives a growl of frustration and aims the rubber sole of her boot right at the thing and kicks it nice and square, sending it reeling back towards Krylow.

GAME: Krylow spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Krylow (claiming advantage) contests his Primitive Weaponry (Chair) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Fails!

Thanks to Leres, the thing is coming towards him now. Unlike Lopez, his attempt to lift a chair works. However, his attempt to hit the monster with the chair doesn't. HE comes up a little short and the chair just whistles by it.

A new target enters its circuit board beady red eyes -- Krylow. It skitters away from the chair attack and launches its wirey sparky fingers towards Krylow's ankles.

<CONTEST> Lopez contests her Primitive Weaponry (Snowball) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!

Lopez is a study of two halves. She gives her leg a good yank, pulling it out and free of the plate-- while her hands packs a hasty snowball of baseball size. "Short it out!" she yells. She flings it, but the wet missile flies wide of its target.

Now that the thing is off of it, Leres is able to get her leg untrapped by the plate. She scoots back and clambers up to her feet. "Kick it! Your boot soles will keep you from getting hurt."

<CONTEST> Krylow contests his Dodge skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Fails!

Krylow is still more or lress holding the chair. As he tries to lift it again the creature is too fast, catching him with a shot of sparks. He grunts and staggers back from it.

<CONTEST> Leres contests her Unarmed Combat (Starfleet Martial Arts) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Fails!

<CONTEST> Lopez contests her Unarmed Combat skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Fails!

Lopez obliges Leres' suggestion, attempt to kick the threat. Unfortunately, snow is slippery, and the deck is hard when she hits it. The world just kindof darts up to whack Lopez but good on her bottom.

Leres gives another go at kicking the circuit board maniac, but doesn't quite succeed. Instead she misses and has to watch her footing in the snow. She doesn't fall down, but she just avoids it. And now her back is to the creature.

The mechanical virus creature reels back on its wired legs, chirrup screeching at Leres and Lopez while avoiding their kicks. Sparks shoot at both female officers.

After taking the last shock from the creature, Krylow moves back from it and quickly to a console, his fingers beginning to tap quickly at the keys. "Give me a minute and I'll try and get some water in here," he calls to Leres and Lopez.

<CONTEST> Leres contests her Dodge skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Fails!

<CONTEST> Krylow contests his Shipboard Systems (Environmental) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

By now, Security Teams have acknowledged Ensign Krylow's request over the combadge system, but arriving is taking a bit.

<CONTEST> Lopez contests her Dodge skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!

GAME: Lopez spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Lopez (claiming advantage) contests her Unarmed Combat (Starfleet Martial Arts) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!

Lopez rolls aside from the impending shocking experience, gets a foot back and fires a good solid mule kick, which connects with audible impact.

Leres takes a hit from the creature and goes back from the hit into one of the consoles. She grabs onto it to keep from falling, then announces, "Trying to get us some water." Her fingers hit the keys of the console.

<CONTEST> Krylow contests his Shipboard Systems (Environmental) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

<CONTEST> Leres (claiming advantage) contests her Shipboard Systems (Environmental) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

The creature slams against a wall, chirruping in pain. It slags against the metal hull, momentarily settled in that position.

Krylow is working at his console, apparently doing the samething that Leres is now. His grunt of frustration pretty much says it all. He's not having any luck.

<CONTEST> Lopez (claiming advantage) contests her Unarmed Combat (Starfleet Martial Arts) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!

Lopez is apparently not one to avoid kicking one while down, and down is where her foot goes, breaking the creature further apart, crushing the soft materials. "Anytime now with the water," she grunts, incensed, wet, with bruised pride and frozen tucchus.

Leres keeps trying at her console and can't manage to get the sprinkler system activated. "Ah. Work you stupid thing. Work!" She bahs. "They've really been hosed hard by the bug. I don't know that we'll get them working."

The bug beneath Lopez's foot isn't going anywhere. Its spark system goes offline, malfunctioned by losing parts. Ensign Lopez managed to contain it.

With two bugs contained, both Operations and Engineering vanishes to leave the crew behind in the familiar black cube with yellow gridlines. They stand in the holodeck and Lieutenant Reta reappears. "Congratulations. You have captures the viruses for Sciences to study. Engineering and Operations would have been sent afterwards to clean up any damages and replace current system protections against viruses such as these. Your department head shall choose whether or not to review this material on an individual or group basis. I will point this out, rather than place efforts into discovering its origin, task in locating the virus and containing it. However, I do commend the ingenuity on Ensign Krylow's part and Ensign Leres in assisting, to use the environmental systems in short-wiring the bug, yet also commend Ensign Lopez for using what resources that were at hand - her foot. Team Beta's efforts have managed to capture that bug. Team Alpha maintained communications and dispatched officers in a timely manner. Lieutenant JG Pelllix is commended on quick thinking as well as Ensign Carlisle and Ensign Hurley for their efforts in locating the bug. All data will be transferred, as well, to your PADDs for personal review. Until the next class, everyone may be dismissed."

Pellix nods in thoughtfulness, tugs on his uniform shirt, then departs for the arch. Class is done for him, but the lesson is remembered.

Carlisle stands and inclines her head to the trainer. "Thank you, Sir." She looks around at the others. She walks over towards Leres.

Krylow listens to the trainer as the debrief is given. He tugs at his uniform while listening and nods once at the end. That done, he turns to begin making his way out.

Leres moves over to join Carlisle. "Well, that was certainly...different."

Hurley draws in a breath, still reeling in the aftereffects of the dizziness. "Thank you, Sir," she echos of the red-headed Carlisle and makes her way towards the exit slowly.

Lopez nods as dismissed, and can be heard to say as she passes by for the arch, "...Bath. Warm."

Lopez steps out of the holodeck.

Lopez has left.

Carlisle nods to Gela, and moves towards the exit. "Very, very different. I was not expecting it to be physical!"

Once the class is out of view, Lieutenant Reta pivots to disappear into the holographic databanks but curls a tiny smile. Cradled within her arms is one of the menacing virus creatures. The program may end but the creatures can live to test the mettle of Engineering and Operations once again.