Command Deck
"Captain, there's a vessel emerging from the patch and heading our way," Ensign Michael Kalvin announced from the Ops. Station.
"Are we expecting any visitors?" Captain Wallace asked.
"Not that I'm aware of, could just be a trader. Whoever they are they're approaching at high speed. They left the patch at nearly half impulse and have accelerated to full impulse. They're engines must be almost destroyed if they've been travelling at that speed all the way," Michael replied.
"Any identification, do we know what type of vessel?" Wallace enquired.
"The computer systems are still processing the sensor data. I hope Starfleet finds us a suitable computer specialist soon. We need our computer systems running at peak efficiency. Every time Engineering fixes one system another fails, it's maybe the problem of installing a state of the art computer system to a old design space station," Nevar Pol announced from the Security station looking across at Garek Loran, who was sat at the Engineering station.
"Computer specialists are few and far between, Starfleet may think that our situation isn't as important as other projects," Garek replied. "My Engineering teams work hard keeping up with the failures, we're all doing our best."
"Let's not start an argument," Wallace remarked, trying to calm the situation. He knew like the rest of the command crew that their need for a computer specialist was grave, but only Wallace knew that Starfleet wouldn't be sending anyone soon.
"We've got a partial indent. It looks like a Maquis raider and we're getting a signal. It appears to be a distress signal, audio only," Ensign Kalvin announced.
"Go to yellow alert and raise our shields, it could be a trap. Let's hear the signal." Captain Wallace ordered.
<This is the cargo vessel SS Mystique to Supply Base 901. We have urgent need of medical assistance,> A female voice requested.
"This is Captain Wallace of Supply Base 901. What kind of medical assistance do you require?"
<One of our crew has been injured during an attack by a hostile vessel. She's currently stabilised in a stasis chamber. We've been travelling over five days to reach here. We need help desperately.>
"Cut audio." Wallace requested.
"Do you still think it's a trap sir ?" Loran asked.
"It certainly doesn't sound like a trap. Any information of the vessels Id, the SS Mystique I think she said?"
"Yes, it's a decommissioned Starfleet cargo\light assault vessel, similar to those used by the Maquis. It's over fifty years old, but it's still got some teeth. However, there's no record of it ever being involved in any Marquis activities. The records we have say it's registered to a Captain Jack Dawson, a salvage merchant. His records show that he's been suspected of several counts of smuggling and dealing in banned technologies, but nothing has ever been proven," Ensign Greg Parker reported from the Science station.
"Certainly doesn't sound like a trap. But let's not be careless, do we have space in the central docking section?" The Captain enquired.
"Yes Captain. Berth Seven Alpha is free. It's a little large for a vessel of that size, but it will surfice," Kalvin replied.
"Good. Commander Pol, take a security detail to the Berth and investigate. And I guess we should have the Doctor there as well. If what that voice said is true, then there's a seriously injured person onboard." Wallace said. "Re-open the channel."
"This is Supply Base 901, we will offer our assistance. Please follow the docking beacon and a medical team will meet you at the berth. Wallace out."
<Thank you Commander. Mystique out.>
"Wallace to Doctor Cherrin. We may have a patient for you, get a medical team to Berth Seven Alpha in the central docking bay as soon as you can. Security will meet you there."
<Understood Captain. Do we know any details, how many casualties, what are their injuries.> Lieutenant Cherrin replied.
"I'm afraid we've not got much information Doctor. All I can tell you is that we have been told of one casualty who is in a stasis chamber of some kind." Wallace replied.
<I'll get down to the berth now. Cherrin Out>
Half an hour later, the SS Mystique was docked at the berth inside the central docking bay of the supply base. A group of six security officers, phaser rifles in hand emerged from the turboshaft and walked towards the docking platform. The central bay was designed to accommodate the larger ships and the small vessel was 'dwarfed' by the cavern where she was docked.
Opening the hatch, Lieutenant Commander Nevar Pol and two of the security officers entered and started to look around. Two remained outside the hatch and the last remained at the far end of the docking platform.
"No one around, scans show no lifesigns. Wait, I'm reading a faint reading, over there." One of the security officers pointed out.
The three officers walked towards the rear of the vessel and discovered what appeared at first to be a 'coffin like' case. They soon realised that it was infact a stasis chamber and inside lay the body of a female.
"What a babe !" One of the officers said.
"Ensign, please refrain from such remarks." Lieutenant Commander Pol said.
"Security to Doctor Cherrin. We've found one human female, she looks like she's in a bad way. She appears to be in some kind of stasis chamber." Pol announced.
Almost immediately, the Doctor was transported inside the vessel and started to examine the stasis chamber.
"It appears to be a self-contained unit, therefore it should be safe to take the chamber and it's occupant to the infirmary. It might be safer if we released her from her 'slumber' there." Alistair said. "I'm not sure of it's origins, but I think it looks like it came from a Breen escape pod. Some of the controls appear to be organic in nature."
"I agree Doctor. We don't know anything about this individual. We can control the situation much easier from the Infirmary. If needed we could even seal the Infirmary off with force fields." Pol replied.
"Then it's agreed, we move the chamber to the Infirmary. This is Doctor Cherrin to Lieutenant Commander Loran. We need to transport the stasis chamber to the infirmary."
<Way ahead of you Doctor. We've got a lock, transporting you now,> Garek said from the Command centre.
Both the chamber and the Doctor both 'disappeared' from the vessel.
"Let's see if there's anyone else aboard." Pol announced.
Half an hour later, after searching the ship, no-one else was found onboard.
"Security to Captain Wallace. The ship is secure, one female occupant found in a stasis chamber. No others found."
<Only one occupant for a ship that size, that's highly unlikely. Could anyone have transported off before you arrived?> Wallace asked from the command centre.
"Unlikely Captain. We were monitoring the progress of the vessel closely, had anyone transported off I'm sure the sensors would have picked up the signal. The vessel does have a three-pad transporter system, but from the data logs it's not been used for over five days."
<Make a security sweep of the base, just in case. I want a full report in two hour, in my office.>
In the Command centre, Wallace was thinking over what he had just heard.
"Garek, take an Engineering team down and look over that ship. We know that there was at least two females aboard, the one in the statis chamber and the one we heard. I'll see you back here in two hour with a full report." Wallace ordered.
"Garek to Engineering team Alpha Seven. Report to docking berth seven Alpha in the central docking bay."
<Alpha Seven to Garek. Message received, we'll be at the berth in ten minutes.>