Red Alert (Part 2)

Posted on Fri Mar 6th, 2026 @ 3:59am by Captain Erik Norsgaard & Lieutenant Tyler Malbrooke & Lieutenant Daegan Baas & Lieutenant Tatiana Dragos & Lieutenant Stormy Knight & Lieutenant Commander Harrison Knox

2,298 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Wolf in the Fold: Hide and Seek
Location: Various, USS Thunderbird

Still dressed in pajama bottoms and a loose-flowing robe, Erik padded barefoot onto the Bridge, barking orders as he went. "Maintain Red Alert but let's loose the sound barrage, shall we? I'm going to get changed. When I come out, I want to know what's going on. Lieutenant Malbrooke, I have the ship. You're relieved." He started for his Ready Room then stopped as the doors opened. "Oh and notify Lieutenant Knight and her team to get started on the Forensics." He paused a moment longer, running down the checklist in his mind, and then headed into his Ready Room where he kept, since his first days of Command, a fresh uniform and all the necessities right down to a second pair of boots.

[Deck 12 - Shuttle Bay]

Baas and the security teams worked the flight deck meter by meter as each team worked closer and closer to the other. Slowly and methodically clearing each shuttle, each store room, each stand of equipment, and each cluster of containers. He was determined to catch who and done this. He still didn't know the total number of injured or if anyone had been killed but there was no way in hell Daegan was going to let this person get away.

The team he was with was sharp and he waved them silently around the next blind spot. They cleared another shuttle and the klaxons went silent while the red alert lighting remain bright down the center of the walls of the bay. They continued to work and as they reached the center of the bay the came face to face with Gamma 1. "You've got to be kidding ME!!"

Meanwhile - On the Bridge

As ordered Ensign T'Plil was checking visual several visual logs of the various attack locations but in each the attacker was a different person, first Bajoran , then Crewman Yates, then Lieutenant Knight, followed by Lt. MaCrae. Finally after MaCrae took out those in Engineering, including Lieutenant Barnes, she watched as someone appearing to be Barnes moved through the ship and and departed by means of a shuttle.

However a quick check showed no launch had been recorded and all shuttles were aboard. Looking up from the security station she saw that the Captain had yet returned, but this he had to see, "Captain to the Bridge."

Erik, who had been nearly to the door of his Ready Room, walked onto the Bridge, still adjusting his pips. "I'm here. What is it?"

Tyler stood up from the center chair as the Captain entered the Bridge. He would not admit it to anyone but he was relieved that the Captain had arrived. "Aye Captain I stand relieved." He made his way to the Operations console and opened an internal communications channel. "Lieutenant Knight you may begin your analysis." With everything that had been going on Tyler was relieved to be speaking to Stormy. Even if it was business as it were.

As the Captain's presence on the bridge was acknowledged she replied, "On the main screen sir. I have also tied Lt. Baas in so that he is briefed as well." On the screens were images of the attacks all seemingly carried out by different people. "I tracked the attacker and the individual left the ship on one of our shuttles but also disables the sensors so that the launch was not detected."

"How did you track the attacker," Erik asked, "if it seemed to be carried out by different people. What people? And how did you figure out that it was one person?"

"Observe Sir." The displays of the various attack scenes replayed and froze as the 'attacker' entered the various areas. "As you can see Captain the individual entering each area was someone that had been assaulted in the previous area. It is logical to assume that the reason each attack was so successful was because those attacked, other than the initial location, were seeing other members of the crew. Thus not raising any concerns."

Daegan watched from the monitors in the shuttle bay's flight control office. That detail could have been easily missed or at least not caught as soon as it had been, "Great catch Ensign. Captain, I'd like to back track the pattern of the assaults, see what DNA evidence from the scene we can collect."

"Good idea," Erik said, "and, if it hasn't been done yet, do a check of the crew. I want to know exactly how many are missing. If the individual who took the shuttle took someone with him. That sort of thing."

[Science Labs]

Stormy had been checked and released from medical. She organized three teams of scientists to carefully examine the location of each attack, following the path of the attacker, checking computer recordings and timelines, taking prints, and making a list of anything that was or may have been taken. The evidence was minimal.

As they gathered information, a pattern began to emerge. Clearly whoever it was could appear to be a member of the crew. But why the attacks? Was this person or entity looking for something or someone? Had they left the ship or were they still here? A second search was made, comparing what was listed for each lab and what was there now, just to see if anything had been overlooked.

When they were done, stormy wrote up her report, included everything they found, and sent copies to everyone who needed the information.

[Sickbay]

Someone, somewhere, had muted the red alert klaxon. In the midst of the bustling activity in sickbay, Ensign Akii could have sworn she still heard the ringing in her ears as the Bolian ensured she stayed out of trouble. Orders were flying around, the more experienced medical staff stepping up in a crisis and she found herself being edged more and more into the sidelines.

Which was okay. What mattered was that they helped everyone who needed it and right now, that was a lot of people. It was surreal. But as she caught sight of a woman keeping to herself - watching but not wanting to intervene - the Bolian took a deep breath, summoned her customary bright smile and crossed the small amount of space between them. “Are you alright, Lieutenant…?”

"Yes I'm ok. I am looking for Caitlynn M'crae and to also check on those here that were injured." Dragos responded, looking around to see if she could find Caitlynn.

"Horrid that something like this had happened." Spotting Caitlyn, Tatiana made her way towards her, noting the other injuries that were there.

"Hi there are you going to be okay?" Tatiana quietly asked.

It took MacRae a moment to realise someone was speaking to her. Drifting in and out of consciousness, it seemed like time had passed in a series of snapshots where most of what she could see was people in medical blues. And Dr Ryan. She had heard him speaking. He always sounded so calm as he issued orders. There was a sadly familiar kind of agony at times but that always eased, numbed by the miracles of medical science as one by one injuries were identified and treated.

It was hard to stay awake and she had to fight hard to focus on the woman now standing nearby. Tatiana.

“Be good as new,” she replied, although she wasn’t sure she managed to utter the words before the darkness returned just after she felt the touch of something against her neck.

“The lieutenant will be just fine,” Nurse Whitmore offered. “Are you with security?”

Reaching out to briefly touch MacRae's shoulder, a pensive look in her gaze. Then she turned to the nurse who approached. Tatiana could answer truthfully, as intelligence was sort of part of security.

"Yes I am. I had heard of the injured coming in, I wanted to check on MacRae here."

For her part, Trynn had followed the medical staff to Sickbay. While Dr Ryan had the physical injuries in hand, she was more concerned with the psychological impact. Lieutenant Knight had been treated and already gone to work, although Ayryn had made a note to check in on her later. For now there was an understandable need for answers and she trusted that Knight would not push herself too hard.

People from engineering made up the majority of those receiving treatment, mostly for minor injuries from falls when they were rendered unconscious. A couple of those affected were having trouble breathing, a consequence of their unique physiology but they were fortunate. It could have been much worse.

And so Ayryn spoke to those being discharged, assuring them her door was always open if they needed to talk. In extreme circumstances she could force people to sit through a counselling session but that approach was usually ill advised and a waste of time. But at this moment in time it was all she could do.

With MacRae having gone unconcious, well make that sleeping, Tatiana moved about to make mental notes as to what sort of injuries had been given to those coming in. It concerned her.


[Bridge]

The red alert klaxon, iconic and recognizable cut through Lieutenant Commander Harrison Knox’s resting eyes as he lay in his quarters trying to rest up and recover from the Tarkalean flu that had sidelined him from his duties. Undoubtedly, the long hours and restless nights had taken their toll on his immune system and left him susceptible to the virus. Rest was indeed what the doctor had ordered, but someone or something had other plans. He certainly was not going to get any further rest, and he quickly threw on a uniform to look at least somewhat presentable as he headed out towards a lift to the bridge.

As Knox exited their lift onto the bridge he wobbled, quickly finding the nearest station to steady himself. "I'm here," he said aloud. "What do we have?" he added and started to prepare to take everything in.

Erik turned to see his First Officer propped up against a console. "You sure you should be out of bed, Commander," he asked and then said. "Go to Yellow Alert while Security finishes their sweep."

"No," replied Knox "But my momma raised me to be as stubborn as a damn bull. So, unless you are ordering me back to quarters, Captain, I am here" noted Knox as he steadied himself and made his way towards his seat on the bridge. "What are we dealing with?" he added looking at Captain Norsgaard.

"T'Plil," Erik said, "if you could show the Commander what you've uncovered."

Lieutenant Commander Harrison Knox was supplied the information from the Vulcan officer. She delicately and with precision moved towards Knox, handing him a Federation PADD. Knox had accepted it, and began skimming the information, pulling out the key bits as he eyes scoured through. He then looked at Norsgaard. "I see" he commented and prepared himself. "I'm glad I came to the bridge. Wouldn't want to sleep through this."

Tyler smiled and muttered gotcha almost to himself. "Sir, I can use the shuttles command prefix to disable it. Would render the shuttle adrift, all systems inactive save for life support. Of course that is unless the occupant changed the prefix. I doubt they would though. I can transmit on your order."

Harris looked at Captain Erik Norsgaard, giving the man a simple nod of understanding. The First Officer raised his voice slightly, speaking firmly. "Lieutenant Malbrooke, transmit the command prefix. Disable that shuttle, now."

Tyler's hands danced on the console. He typed in the shuttles command prefix and transmitted. "Transmitting now." A beat passed. "The shuttle's computers have acknowledged the code. It has not been changed. The shuttle is offline and adrift." Tyler reported from his station. A small amount of pride settled into him. He was happy to have been able to slow the crises down.

"Tactical, stand by tractor beam" added Knox with additional instruction. If they disabled it, he wanted to ensure it did not go anywhere, and if Malbrooke's transmission of the command prefix did not disable it, Knox was readying the bridge crew for snagging the shuttle with the Thunderbird's tractor beams like netting a fish before it got away, hook in mouth or not.

T'Plil readied the tractor from the tactical station as a thought occurred. "Captain, I recommend a check of ship's systems. The perpetrator managed to alter the computer to prevent the launch detection. He may have altered other systems as well."

"Very good," Erik said. "And once we're in range, scan the shuttle. Make sure that there's someone on board."

Knox agree with the Captain, but made a noise indicating he had more to say. "I'd recommend increasing that to a multiphasic scan, Captain. Full spectrum at the very least. Whether there's someone aboard or not, we should be cautious that we're not dealing with some sort of boobytrapped shuttle."

"Agreed," Erik said. "Malbrooke, T'Pill. What can you tell me about the shuttle?"

Tyler spoke up from his console without looking up. "Standard shuttle nothing out of the ordinary. There is one occupant, no life signs."

"Captain there had been one member of the crew unaccounted for from the shuttle bay, and I am detecting PO3 Jenning's commbadge aboard the shuttle. I am also detecting a transporter resonance trace. It is possible that the attacker has been beamed away."

Erik kept his expression neutral. "Alright, let's get the shuttle, we have some people on board who are long over due to go home."

---

Captain Erik Norsgaard
Commanding Officer
USS Thunderbird

Lieutenant Commander Harrison Knox
Executive Officer
USS Thunderbird

Lieutenant Tyler Malbrooke
Chief Operations Officer
USS Thunderbird

Lieutenant Stormy Knight
Chief Science Officer
USS Thunderbird

 

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