Isolation and Panic

[Cmdr Ba'alyo 0]

Commander Zen Ba'alyo eased into the center chair of the starship Challenger, reflecting soberly on the planet below and unfolding events.

 

The Obi VI colony was young, established in the 2250's. Far from remote, its location high in the galactic plane and away from major shiplanes had nevertheless kept its population small - under fifty thousand. The planet was class-M with an adequate biosphere. It had a cooler climate and no exotic minerals or resources. From his knowledge of the stellar database, he knew the central star was A8V class, a light blue main sequence star which was less radiant than typical stars of its color.

 

The diversity of its colonists was notable, reflecting a cross-section of races in this part of Federation space. While many new settlements were dominated by the founding members of the Federation, less than a third of the Obi VI colony was human, with a statistically insignificant number of Vulcans, Andorians, and Tellarites. He was surprised, given Efrosian reluctance to leave their homeworld, to learn that members of his own species were the second largest group.

 

Two major land masses, divided between northern and southern hemispheres, comprised a third of the globe which wasn't ocean. Islands and archepelagoes took up the rest. The secluded settlement of Giiwyen in the north, which boasted a population of more than 3500, was the focus of their attention. Reports of the outbreak had started there, quickly decimating the ranks of available medical professionals. Dispatched to address the emergency, it had taken three days for Challenger to travel from Starbase 24 to the Obi system. Upon their arrival, the northern town was ominously quiet. Sensors showed more than three thousand already dead and hundreds still infected. In that short time, the mortality rate had jumped to exceed 90%.

 

Although the infected were limited to the northern settlement, Lieutenant Savros had reported evidence the contagion was working its way into some of the native wildlife. Dr. Juno had listened to the reports gravely, then asked permission to suit up and get down to the surface. From there, he could seek samples and locate those still needing treatment. He'd left the bridge to do so.

 

The captain had spoken with Governor Mekam, who was eager to confine the outbreak and calm her populace. She had requested a visible Starfleet presence. Captain Seiben had ordered Major Kimiko, Dr. Harris, and a small security team to join him in the transporter room, where they'd be beaming down to the colonial capital on the southern continent.

 

It was then Challenger had detected a small groundcar making its way toward the infected town. It had ignored their warnings, refusing to answer hails. Zen had ordered Doug to fire a low-level warning burst in their path, which got their attention. For the moment, the vehicle had come to a stop.

 

"Lieutenant," he looked toward the communications station, "let me know when the captain's landing party is away."

 

Lessard nodded, touching the subspace transceiver in her ear. "They're almost suited and ready to energize," she reported.

 

Zen ran a hand through his white mane of hair. He'd made no secret of his anxiety about sending the captain down there in the midst of this. Still, it looked like they might be able to establish a quarantine zone and isolate the disease. Would they be able to save those inside the perimeter? He looked at the tactical display, which showed the halted ground shuttle. What would it take to enforce it? Or to avoid the chaos of a planetside panic?

 

He blinked. Avoid a panic, he repeated mentally.

 

With sudden urgency, Ba'alyo looked back to Lessard. "Did you say suited?" he asked.

 

The communications officer gave the briefest of nods.

 

The executive officer got to his feet. "Savros, how many people are near the beam-down point in the capital?"

 

The Vulcan's hands adjusted his sensor scope. "Several hundred," he announced dryly. He looked up, his voice slowing. "It would seem they are arriving at some kind of public gathering."

 

A visible Starfleet presence, he recalled. The governor wanted the people to see that help was coming. How would a crowd react to seeing their rescuers arrive looking like they were afraid of a plague in their midst?

 

"Lessard, get the transporter room," he ordered. He hoped he could stop the captain and his party from causing the panic they were hoping to contain…