U.S.S. Corsair - NX-011979
Nebula II Prototype
“Sic Parvis Magna”
(Greatness From Small Beginnings)
“The Key To Hell's Gates - Part III”
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The muted echoes of boots on metal filled a small hallway adorned with the triangular shaped NeoDyne company logo as Ramius and his marines cautiously traversed the narrow passageway which led into the heart of the station’s main research lab. The men moved quickly sticking to walls for cover their weapons ready for any hostile encounter. Traversing the long corridor without incident led them to another heavy sealed door. Another card reader was present on the wall.
Ramius looked at his troops who nodded at the captain indicating their readiness. Producing the blood stained access badge of the dead scientist, Ramius slid it through the reader. The electronic system flashed green as heavy locks could be heard disengaging from the door. With a slight hiss the door slid open revealing the massive interior of the station.
Ramius and the marines poured through the opening taking up defensive positions within the room which was a giant cylinder several stories tall and several dozens of meters across. The circular room was a gleaming white which reinforced the lab’s cold, harsh, sterility. There was little color in the room except for NeoDyne logos, warning signs, and a large collection of massive equipment that sat alone in the center of the complex. As Ramius looked up he could see several decks of smaller labs, offices, and rooms on higher levels, however the ground floor appeared to be the central research area.
Signaling for the marines to move out, Ramius cautiously entered the lab suspicious of the ease in which they had entered. As they moved through the room which could house a small freighter or transport, Ramius suddenly stopped. Spread across the floor a long trail of dark red interrupted the enveloping white which seemed to drown out everything. Cautiously, Ramius followed the trail which inevitably led him to yet another dead victim. The team suddenly saw more bodies partially obscured by the white lab coats they wore which camouflaged them against the white backdrop of the lab’s interior.
“More of the same? Are there more of those monsters on the loose”, Alpha Team’s commander asked his eyes quickly darting about for any signs of movement.
“I don’t think so”, Ramius replied stooping over one of the bodies. “Phaser fire, close range. This wasn’t any accident. Someone killed these people probably to ensure their silence in the event of capture. I suspect NeoDyne is covering its tracks. Kill the researchers and you remove any loose ends. Wiping or encrypting computers is easy, but people can be made to talk.”
“Sir”, a marine shouted from nearby. “Look!”
Ramius made his way to a large piece of machinery. Several personnel lay dead at its controls and from the scene it appeared someone had left in a hurry.
“Cargo transporter”, Ramius asked evaluating the large machine.
“Affirmative. It’s an older Klingon design, but it’s been left on.”
“On? Where is there to go?”
“I’m not sure”, the marine answered. Holding up a tricorder the marine attempted to translate the Klingon controls. “It appears the unit was used to send personnel and equipment down to the surface.”
Ramius hid his surprise. “The surface of the ruined planet?”
“Appears so sir. I have the coordinates. There must be some type of facility below.”
“Logical”, Ramius muttered. “NeoDyne probably converted the actual mines into a useable facility. This old mining station was just a guard tower it would seem. If this data is accurate then the old Klingon mines are where we’ll find what we are looking for. What better place to hide clandestine research than deep within a fractured planet in the middle of a godforsaken area of space no sane person would enter?”
Suddenly the white room was bathed in red as alarm klaxons sounded. A computerized Klingon voice rang out across the deck.
“That sounds bad”, one of the marines shouted over the din of the alarms.
“It’s bad”, came the response of another marine who affirmed his comrade’s assessment. “Captain, the warning says we have thirty seconds until we enter hell without honor. Well at least I think that’s close, my Klingon is pretty rusty.”
“Well today isn’t a good day to die”, Ramius shouted. “Major, get your men into the transporter now! Sounds like our time here just got cut short.”
As the marines piled into the large transporter behind him, Ramius grabbed a fallen padd on the floor and shoved it into his uniform. It wasn’t much, but the undamaged padd might contain some useable information assuming any of them survived.
“Captain, I..I don’t know where these coordinates go sir! Suppose they go nowhere?”
“Then you’ll just end up dead fifteen or so seconds faster corporal”, Ramius shouted. “Set the damn thing and get over here!”
The Klingon voice now seemed to be counting down as the marine struggled to set the controls to beam them out. “I’ve never heard of a destruct mechanism that elicits a guilt trip about being without honor before it goes off.”
“Send a memo to the high council and complain”, Ramius snapped as he waited for the corporal to engage the controls. “COME ON CORPORAL, MOVE!”
The marines, nervous under the stress pressed something into the foreign console before leaping over the railing to join his fellow marines. Ramius tightened his grip on his weapon as the room began to come apart around them. A massive steel girder fell from somewhere above crushing most of the research tables and equipment as a fire broke out engulfing the room. Ramius could sense the heat from the explosion just as the transporter system engaged. A wall of superheated plasma expanded toward them just as Ramius’s own vision faded into an icy cloud of red and orange.
[ To Be Continued… ]
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Captain Taverain Ramius
Commanding Officer, USS Corsair
