Loras

Posted on Sun Mar 29th, 2026 @ 10:19am by Lieutenant Commander Deanna Celes & Commander Jonathan Grayson & Commander Samantha Howard

1,269 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: The Shuttle Incident
Location: Washington

It was supposed to be a survey mission, Dr Samantha Howard liked survey missions. They were quiet, uneventful and she had the opportunity to catch up on the mountains of paperwork.

She wandered up to the bridge, taking a stack of PaDDs that needed the CO's authority, using the opportunity to stretch her legs and take a bit of a brain brake.

The bridge doors parted before her as the main viewscreen lit up, an emergency transmission coming through with high priority.

"Can anyone hear us? Please! There is a disease, it's killing everyone. We need help. Please!" The voice was of a panicked government official.

Jon was seated in the center chair, and he waved Sam over once she stepped onto the bridge. No sooner than that an urgent panicked transmission came through.

"This is the USS Washington. " We hear you. Can you be more specific? What sort of disease? What is your location?"

A woman appeared on the viewscreen. She was humanoid, looking somewhat human, but definitely alien. She skin had a distinctive olive hue, and her hair was a deep forest green. "I am Administrator Aishah Uaim of Loras. A few days ago, several of our colonists reported being ill. Our medical personnel believed it was a simple condition, but the illness spread and became more critical. We have had 47 deaths so far, and well over 100 more are in a critical state. We don't have the medical resources to combat this disease, and it has seemingly spread to a point that 90% of our colony has been infected. Please help us!"

"L'Rissa, how far away are they from our current position?" Jon asked.

Sam stood quietly inside the doors of the bridge, her gut dropping as this alien woman spoke. There goes the quiet survey mission.

"The Loras system is an hour away from our current position at warp 9" L'Rissa responded to Jon's inquiry.

"I can get word to the captain and have him rendezvous with us there instead" Deanna added. "We should discuss some protocols though before we reach the planet" she added cryptically.

"Send the message to the captain." Jon replied, his decision already made. To Administer Aishah he spoke next. "We're on our way Administer. We should be there with the next hour. We'll contact you to get an update when we arrive."

"Some protocols?" Sam replied, raising an eyebrow. "More like full biological and pathological containment strategies. I have no idea what we're dealing with here"

"I know Sam. Come over here and sit down and talk to Administrator Aishah and get as much information as you can from her. We'll also do complete scans of the planet to get an idea of what we're dealing with." Jon answered.

Deanna sent the message to the captain as instructed, getting the reply that they would rendezvous with the Washington in 2 days' time. She made her way over to Jon and Sam to update them, as well as explain her meaning of her previous comments.

Deanna spoke in a calm voice, "The captain indicated they would rendezvous with us in 2 days. We won't have to pick him and the others up since they have the runabout. Have we learned anything more about the medical emergency?"

"Excellent Deanna, Thank you." Jon replied. "Not yet, hoping the Administrator can provide Sam with enough information to give her something to work with, a place to start and hopefully come up with a vaccine."

They switched from the main viewer to a station at the rear of the bridge where Sam could communicate more efficiently. She settled into the chair, flanked by both Jon and Deanna.

"Administer, could you tell me more detail about this disease?" Sam asked compassionately. Do you know how it is transmitted? What are the symptoms?"

"I'm not a physician I'm afraid. Our medical people have been overwhelmed by this disease. We don't know what it is, where it came from. It was suggested that the disease isn't naturally occurring, but I don't know if that is fact. I don't know how it is transmitted, only that the disease is ultimately lethal within 96 hours" Administrator Uaim replied panicked.

Jon shot a look at Deanna at hearing what Aishah said. *Four days?* He mouthed to her. This was a fast acting and killing disease and time was short.

Deanna sent a telepathic message to both Jon and Sam, We should place the planet on full quarantine until Sam can assess the situation fully. She knew that was a judgment call that Sam ultimately had to make, but she knew protocol under these circumstances, and everything about this was sounding like a biological attack designed to spread beyond this planet.

Jon nodded at Deanna's silent message but waited to see if Sam had anything else to ask before informing Aishah.

"Administrator, do you have any space vessels leaving or have left your planet over the last 5 days? You MUST prevent any ships leaving, otherwise this may spread to other planets" Sam implored, the urgency evident in her voice. "Please also send us all data you have on this disease, we will set up a warning buoy nearby to prevent further incoming ships being infected."

"We have not had any ship land or depart from our starport in over a week. I can put a governmental hold if you wish. As for getting you the medical data, I can send everything to you now" the Administrator replied.

Jon spoke again. "Administrator, please issue a hold on all ships landing or departing your starport. It will greatly help matters if we can control traffic."

"Very well Commander. We will get you the medical information in the next few minutes. And thank you for coming to our aide" Uaim replied. The screen went blank.

Deanna looked to Jon and Sam, "This is going to be an endeavor. I suggest we contact Command, get a medical ship headed this way. I believe the Fleming could be at Loras within 4 days, and that would be a big help to Sam. I don't have facts to back it up at this point, but this sounds like a bioterrorism attack using bioweapons. Loras is the right type of planet to try this on. It is a Federation world, but it resides in frontier sector of Federation space, moderate space traffic but minimal capabilities, especially if you wanted to use weapons from orbit, or even land a ground force to infect people. And the populace is known to be highly interactive, very physical, much of the culture revolves around open intimacy. Sam is also short a doctor as Viviana is with the captain, and we should note that Shon is not back to full duty either. She is likely going to need the resources of a medical ship just from a practical
standpoint."

"Contact Command. Have them divert the Fleming to Loras. We'll get Sam all the help she needs. I'm glad to see I wasn't alone in thinking this could be a bioweapon." Jon replied.

Sam began pouring over the limited data, half forgetting the comm channel was still open. "Looks synthetic, like someone was targeting their unique genome" she mumbled, leaning back over the data. This was a sophisticated genetic weapon, released into an entire population...which means whoever did this will return once they believe everyone is dead, or will return to barter for their survival."

Deanna closed the channel to make sure nobody heard what they were saying next. "Biogenic weapons means trouble. You focus on the medical side Sam; we will handle the rest" Deanna said confidently.


TBC

 

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