Season 7; Mission 10: End of Days

[Kale Bridges]

"Who left?" demanded Saffir, taking a step into the room. "What drone? What Borg? What in the three suns of Horune are you on about?" He turned to look down the corridor and saw a tall figure moving back towards the room.

It was a Borg drone.

"BORG!" shouted the cadet, closing the door quickly and locking it. Turning to look over his shoulder, he said, "I think it saw us."

Reece sighed, "Shouting probably didn't help either. He walked up to the door, placing his ear to it. "If he did hear you, I don't think he cares. Doesn't sound like he's at the door."

Keeping his head to the door, he held his hand out, "Lieutenant Reece Thompson. Security. Soon to be on the Discovery, if this ever ends."

[Michael Ferdinand]

Bright flashes danced across Alyssa's eyes. For each flash of white light, she could see the room around her, though it was a tad brighter than it should have been. However, when her vision went dark in between these flashes, see saw something completely different altogether. Yes, she was in the same room in the darkness, yet the people were gone, having been replaced with the same creatures of the shadows that have been plaguing the woman's dreams over the past few months.

Flash: The brightened version of the mess hall, with crewmembers going about their business.

Darkness: The lighting disappeared, and the room seemed as if it was the deadshift. The creatures were at the doors, their moans and growls echoing in the empty room. Alyssa could hear them scratching on the metal of the doors. They were trying to get in; they were trying to get their claws on her.

Flash: Normality.

Darkness: The horror.

The flashes became more frequent, but they also became shorter. She was finding herself in the darkness for a time longer than she would have liked. Her eyes were glued to the door as the creatures were pulling it open. Each time a flash appeared, it showed that there was nothing wrong, but when the darkness came, it only showed how much further the creatures had progressed.

More flashes; more darkness.

They had broken into the room! Alyssa's heart began to speed up. She could feel the organ in her throat as her neck throbbed due to the quickened pulse. She needed to move; she had to find a way out.

Making the attempt to get up, Alyssa found that she was glued to the spot. A wave of horror took her under, petrifying the caked facial expression that it left on her face.

Flash: In the normal world, it was Trisha making her way towards Alyssa's table.

Darkness. In the shadow world, the monster was creeping towards her. It's face was made from several different skins and sewn on, but the stitches were coming apart. It's lips were sideways, and they were open, ready to taste Alyssa's prime flesh.

Flash: Trisha was at the table, looking at Alyssa in a curious way.

Darkness: The monster was here! With its bloody long claws, it grabbed Alyssa shoulders and moved it's face towards her just as it....

Alyssa shrieked a blood curling scream before falling out of her chair and hitting the deck.

[Shelaf Greegy]

Price took the PADD, glancing over the contents. He looked up at Shelaf "Well..." He started. "It'd be possible... just. We'd take damage just from the stress of the operation." He said, handing the PADD back. "However, from an engine point of view... it's possible."

Shelaf smiled at the engineer and took the PADD back. "Thanks." He passed the PADD on to Scott. "Heres my plan, sir. We aproach Earth powered down, so we don't get blasted by the orbital defences, and join our comrades." He gestured at the debris on the viewscreen. "After we pass through the defences, we power up the engines to get us out of the atmosphere. This is where it gets tight."

Shelaf smiled. "As we fall through the air like an hundred gigaton lump of rock, we launch all our shuttles and fighters. We land in strategic areas..." He paused to bring up the same map that he brought up in Munro's ready room. "Like the Academy, Starfleet Command and Orbital Control, deploying security teams, to secure the area. " He gestured at the PADD. "While we're down on the surface, we can take better scans, try to determine where and how the Borg are breaking through. While we do that, the Discovery will have powered up its engines and can land somewhere out of the way until the Orbital Defences are under our control again."

[Connor Price]

Shelaf smiled at the engineer and took the PADD back. "Thanks." He passed the PADD on to Scott. "Heres my plan, sir. We aproach Earth powered down, so we don't get blasted by the orbital defences, and join our comrades." He gestured at the debris on the viewscreen. "After we pass through the defences, we power up the engines to get us out of the atmosphere. This is where it gets tight."

Shelaf smiled. "As we fall through the air like an hundred gigaton lump of rock, we launch all our shuttles and fighters. We land in strategic areas..." He paused to bring up the same map that he brought up in Munro's ready room. "Like the Academy, Starfleet Command and Orbital Control, deploying security teams, to secure the area. " He gestured at the PADD. "While we're down on the surface, we can take better scans, try to determine where and how the Borg are breaking through. While we do that, the Discovery will have powered up its engines and can land somewhere out of the way until the Orbital Defences are under our control again."

Connor felt his jaw drop as he heard the full plan He looked at Scott. "It's possible. Technically, of course. Up to you in the end. Though I've yet to come up with a better plan."

[Trisha Xoran]

Alyssa shrieked a blood curling scream before falling out of her chair and hitting the deck.

[Messhall; USS Discovery]
Trisha gasped as she rushed to Alyssa's side. The Doctor had fallen quite hard on the floor, and Trisha could have sworn that she had heard something crack on impact. Inspecting the unconscious officer, she found blood coming out of her nose and what felt like a few broken bones, but she would need a more detailed scan.

Xoran to transporter room two!=/\= Trisha shouted. I need you to lock onto Doctor Meadow's commbadge and beam both her and myself directly to sickbay=/\=

She placed one of her soft hands on Alyssa's shoulder and rubbed it slightly. "Everything is going to be okay." she said with a tear coming out of her eyes when the blue hue of the transporter beam came about.

[Saffir G'Tollikos]

Reece sighed, "Shouting probably didn't help either. He walked up to the door, placing his ear to it. "If he did hear you, I don't think he cares. Doesn't sound like he's at the door."

Keeping his head to the door, he held his hand out, "Lieutenant Reece Thompson. Security. Soon to be on the Discovery, if this ever ends."

G'Tollikos accepted the proferred hand and shook it firmly. "Sorry for the shouting sir," he said. "Ensign Saffir G'Tollikos. I've also been assigned to the Discovery sir. Sciences." He glanced at the door. "How did the Borg get to Earth? What do they want? I mean, assuming it's anything other than the assimilation of the entire planet."

[Kale Bridges]

G'Tollikos accepted the proferred hand and shook it firmly. "Sorry for the shouting sir," he said. "Ensign Saffir G'Tollikos. I've also been assigned to the Discovery sir. Sciences." He glanced at the door. "How did the Borg get to Earth? What do they want? I mean, assuming it's anything other than the assimilation of the entire planet."

"Not a problem son." He whispered. After a few seconds though, he was fairly sure that the borg wasn't approaching them.

He stepped away from the door, breaking the handshake and heading back to the terminal.

"I don't have a clue. I was in your lab when your experiment hit a snag and we were both rendered unconscious. Although, there doesn't look like a lot of damage anywhere else, so it wasn't a conventional invasion...." he stopped talking and looked the Ensign face before breaking into a massive smile.

"OK. I don't have clue. Hahah."

[Trisha Xoran]

[Sickbay; USS Discovery]
Trisha had placed Doctor Meadows on the ICU that was in the back of the sickbay with the ICU console constantly monitoring the Doctor's vital function. She was the most important priority in sickbay at the moment, partially because it was empty, and partially because anyone that entered would not be suffering from the severity that Alyssa had to have been. The only problem was, what exactly was going on?

Trisha grabbed a medical tricorder and began to scan the Doctor. The tricorder went off almost instantly the moment it locked on to Alyssa's person. Her synaptic pathways were degrading at a greatly exponential rate. There was approximately three minutes and six seconds to stabilize the pathways somehow before they were be completely obliterated.

She could feel the Xoran symbiont creeping in the personalities of the previous hosts. If you don't save her now, the distant voice of the deceased Captain Falroy said, she will be gone for good.

Trisha began to move. She ran to the supplies station and began to dig for a neural stimulator. After a minute and a half, she found it. Rushing back, she attached the device to Alyssa's forehead and made sure that it wouldn't fall off.

One minute and twelve seconds left.

She initiated the stimulator and sent a jolt through Alyssa's body and then checked her status with the tricorder. Alyssa jolted but nothing changed in the readings.

This can't be happening, Trisha thought to herself.

Again. Alyssa's body jolted but nothing changed.

Increase the voltage, Trisha. The voice of Falroy echoed.

Trisha nodded to herself and increased the voltage by 9% before reactivating it.

Alyssa jolted again.

Trisha examined her tricorder and frowned, but not for long. Initially it seemed like there was no change, but after another second of scanning, the tricorder discovered that Alyssa's pathways, though they were extremely damaged, had ceased the process of degradation with only twelve seconds to spare.

[Saffir G'Tollikos]

G'Tollikos gave a small smile in spite of himself. Though the ensign was filled with fear, if the Lieutenant could smile it meant there must be a chance they would make it out alive. That, or the lieutenant was crazy.

"We'll need weapons, and to get a signal out to the fleet," he said to Reece, not knowing what the man had been working on when he came in. "And a way to find out how many Borg are here, and maybe what they are doing." He shook his head. The Borg on Earth. It had been the nightmare of every Terran since Wolf 359, and now it was coming true.

He started examining the room they were in. "Let me see what we have to work with."

[Kale Bridges]

G'Tollikos gave a small smile in spite of himself. Though the ensign was filled with fear, if the Lieutenant could smile it meant there must be a chance they would make it out alive. That, or the lieutenant was crazy.

"We'll need weapons, and to get a signal out to the fleet," he said to Reece, not knowing what the man had been working on when he came in. "And a way to find out how many Borg are here, and maybe what they are doing." He shook his head. The Borg on Earth. It had been the nightmare of every Terran since Wolf 359, and now it was coming true.

He started examining the room they were in. "Let me see what we have to work with."

"I've already sent out a signal. I don't know if anyone if close enough to hear it anyway." Reece said, negating to mention that in the message, he told them to stay away. "As for weapons, they'll adapt to anything we have, hence the length of metal pipe propped up beside the door. They can't adapt to that."

He sat down infront of the console, watching the door. "Until someone come sup with a plan, all I can think of is sitting and waiting."

[Scott Bradley]

Connor felt his jaw drop as he heard the full plan He looked at Scott. "It's possible. Technically, of course. Up to you in the end. Though I've yet to come up with a better plan."

Scott looked over the plans the PADD contained. Reading over the specifics he couldn't help but let out a bemused breath.

" Shelaf, I've always thought of you as slightly on the edge mentally but you seem to have plunged straight in. "

He looked at his chief and smiled.

" This is exactly the thing the Borg won't calculate. Make ready all the shuttles, fill them up with anyone who's ever had basic weapons control. use the escape pods if you have to but I want some god damn boots on the ground to back up starfleet HQ and the surrounding areas. "

Still, a nagging feeling at the back of his mind kept making its presence felt.

" Lee , keep scanning for any sub space activity. Like when we went through to the other universe. If we have company, then I wan't to know about it. "

[Shelaf Greegy]

Scott looked over the plans the PADD contained. Reading over the specifics he couldn't help but let out a bemused breath.

" Shelaf, I've always thought of you as slightly on the edge mentally but you seem to have plunged straight in. "

He looked at his chief and smiled.

" This is exactly the thing the Borg won't calculate. Make ready all the shuttles, fill them up with anyone who's ever had basic weapons control. use the escape pods if you have to but I want some god damn boots on the ground to back up starfleet HQ and the surrounding areas. "

Still, a nagging feeling at the back of his mind kept making its presence felt.

" Lee , keep scanning for any sub space activity. Like when we went through to the other universe. If we have company, then I wan't to know about it. "

"Yes. And yes, sir. I'll get right on it." Shelaf nodded and turned.

All security teams, gather in shuttle bay one for briefing. Bring full assault equipment, heavy weapons, you know the stuff. He ordered. His face split into a grin. This was going to be fun.

He thought for a second, then tapped his commbadge again =/\=Pilots, please report to shuttle bay one immediately, prepare for briefing.

[Scott Bradley]

"Yes. And yes, sir. I'll get right on it." Shelaf nodded and turned.

All security teams, gather in the shuttle bay for briefing. Bring full assault equipment, heavy weapons, you know the stuff. He ordered. His face split into a grin. THis was going to be fun.

" Get on it Shelaf. "

Scott then turned to Price.

" Realistically what are the chances of the Discovery surviving this drop? "

[Connor Price]

" Get on it Shelaf. "

Scott then turned to Price.

" Realistically what are the chances of the Discovery surviving this drop? "

Price mentally ran numbers through his head. Flexibility of the hull, speed of descent, gravitational pull. "Uh, quite high. Obviously, the stress of pulling up will cause minor damage, but we'll be able to fly and fight. The main issue would be getting the engines started in the descent. It'd be possible, but slow. Maybe only a kilometre leeway by the time we're going straight and level." Price smiled. "But, we can do it."

[Scott Bradley]

Price mentally ran numbers through his head. Flexibility of the hull, speed of descent, gravitational pull. "Uh, quite high. Obviously, the stress of pulling up will cause minor damage, but we'll be able to fly and fight. The main issue would be getting the engines started in the descent. It'd be possible, but slow. Maybe only a kilometre leeway by the time we're going straight and level." Price smiled. "But, we can do it."

" We may have to do it. I'm hoping it doesn't come to it. The entire system is dark, and the fleet is still gone. We need to get a message out to them. "