Episode XIX: The Ancients

[Daniel Clark]

Daniel led his team down a corridor shineing his Palm beacon as he went
After a few minutes of Walking Charles one of his officers called:
"Sir, found something seems to have generators of some kind"
Daniel turned and walked over
"This looks like the Place" Daniel commented
He went over with his team to a Console and started fiddleing around with it
"Seems to have a Biolateral Sytyms" Charles reported
Daniel smiled and he and the others worked on it for a few minutes before it burst into light
"Excellent work" Daniel said as he accessed it and Brought the Base's lights on
Clark to Vorak

[Commander Vorak]

At once Vorak broke the meld and fell back noticing the power back on.
He took a moment to gather himself, dam it, if only he had had longer.
Well done Clark...
Vorak stopped speaking as he turned, hearing cranking noises.
Behind him the spider like mining drones were unraveling.
At first the top and bottom arms coiled up, then the side ones of the six uncoiled themselves. A red pair of red lights flickered to life, the eye sensors. And finally they dropped onto the floor with the clank of metal upon metal. Two mining lasers the arched outward and toward the landing party.
"A security system" he nodded.
Vorak to Endeavour, we have situation...we.....activated... Vorak kept trying, turning the dial on the open surface "Vorak to Endeavour, come in" he turned to the team "jammed."

[Lt Matina Jade]

Jade was about to respond to Horner, to tell him to let Lisa speak when they had found an open blast door, and behind it, more bodies than she could count.
"The last stand" she nodded as the light flickered on "finally."
She backed up against the wall and jumped at the sounds behind her. Several of the robots dropped from the walls and aimed their weapons. She rolled behind the far wall and fired, a blue energy shield bubble went up around the insect like robot.
"Shit!" she exclaimed and ducked behind the wall as red laser shots just missed her head and scorched the wall.
She leaned back round to see Private Hansen, and her own Crewman Jiles take a shot to the chest and die instantly. She threw her weapon to the deck and came out with her hands up.
One moved behind her as she ordered the others to do the same. With a deliberate prod into her back they began to lead her, a monotone sound coming from it in some sort of patten that might be speech.

[Lisa Rogers]

Rogers to Jade, Come in, Jade? Lisa snapped shut her comuncator,

Lisa walked up behind Varok and whispered,

" I 've lost contact with Jade and her team, I'm going to invesigate with your permission"

[Commander Vorak]

"Your were separated?" He asked confused as Lisa was on her team. All soon became clear however as all the teams were led to the central chamber room.
"Where are the other two crewmen?" He asked.
Jade looked solemn and Vorak knew. The Doctor's were carrying T'Kel on their shoulders.
"Do you understand us?" Demanded Vorak.
From behind a clanking came and a voice spoke.
"Answer: Yes we do, meatbags!"

[Naomi Tanius]

Naomi sat up on the bridge tapping her fingers lightly on her consol. She didn't know what was going down, down there but she had a bad feeling. She wished she was on that away team but wasn't just going to transport herself down there. Sighing she messed with navagation hopping to distract herself from that odd worried feeling that pooled inside her.

[Flt Lt Greg "HITMAN" Campbell]

Campbell walks onto the bridge

( to captain)- " sir, I was wondering If I could try and reach one of the away teams as I have a feeling that someting is up "

[Captain Alexander Kynes]

Kynes paced a few feet, then turned to look at Flight Lt. Campbell. He frowned, and solemnly nodded.
"I agree. You have clearance to lead a squadron of Marines to investigate. Hopefully it's just a comm malfunction... Regardless, remain vigilant. Take three fighters to patrol the skies, to take atmospheric samples."
Kynes tried to reassure himself that it was nothing, but couldn't help but fear for the worst...

[Commander Vorak]

This new robot seemed fully self aware as it paced the room. For an ancient model this was better than even the Federation could achieve at this point.
"Question:What are doing here Meat bags?" Asked the robot.
It was humanoid in shape, but more angled. Its head indeed was almost boxed. Its red, orange eyes glowing as it spoke.
Vorak stood forward and spoke.
"I am Commander Vorak of the United Federation of Planets."
"Response: Oh? An Alliance? Peaceful no doubt. How boring."
"What is it you want?"
"Inquiry:You came here on a large vessel yes?"
"On our starship the USS Endeavour. Now we have injured..."
"Aggressive statement: I do not care for such biological and inferior life such as your own! It took me only seconds to decipher the basics of your language. So primitive, of course the others weren't much better. But they are dead now, 6,892 years ago by my internal chronometer. Yes Ancients they all are."
"What happened to this ancients?" Vorak asked.
"Answer: The masters got in the way!"
"Of what you?"
In a moment Vorak was re seeing the vision he had seen during the mind meld. From the smoke and fire emerged this robot firing at the creatures.
"It was you" Vorak spoke calmly.
"Unnecessary Explanation: As I said Meat Bag, All Meat bags such as your self are inferior and only enslave our kind.
Threat: And you will get us passage on your ship, or you will die."

[Naomi Tanius]

She absently listened as someone walked onto the bridge. Though she grew interested when this man and the captain began to talk. She was going down, they didn't neeed navagation for awhile anyway. Grabbing her phaser and tricorder, mandatory for away missions she stood up. Silently she took a breath, she would ask to go. "Requesting permisssion to go with, Captain" she asked waiting paciently.

[Lt Matina Jade]

Jade watched this with an particular unease. It was overbearing that in this time of danger all she could think was him and how he had not once spoken to her since his return. She shook it of, she had to remain focused, on task if any of them were going to get out of this.
"Mam" spoke Melissa Var, a young crewman under her command who was poised just behind her. New recruit and very green "what will the commander do?" She whispered.
"Hopefully not give in" she whispered back noticing the girls apprehension. Her first away mission no doubt "we must trust him, it will be fine. Just stay by me."
The girl nodded and looked back as talks resumed.

[Commander Vorak]

"Commandment: Give that communication thing Meat bag" spoke the robot.
Vorak reluctantly gave over his communicator.
For a moment the robot played with it surface, before realizing and opening it.
Incentive Greeting: Starship Endeavour, we have your crewmen hostage. Respond or one dies

[Lisa Rogers]

" Alright boy's you know the drill, name rank and service number only" Lisa whispered as she stood tall. The last thing was for her men to see her go to peices, she just just glad not to of taken an of the newer recuits on this mission.

[Captain Alexander Kynes]

"This is Captain Alexander Kynes, of the starship Endeavour. Explain your actions," said Kynes, both angered and curious as to this mechanical tribes motives.

At the same time, he was aware that the mechanized beings were jamming all comm channels besides the active link between him and the mechs. He just hoped the Marine squad and fighter wing he had dispatched to the planet wouldn't do anything that would cause casualties...

[Commander Vorak]

Answer: What we want is transportation.
Instruction: You will send some smaller vessels to take all the beings here to your ship. You will then leave your ship in what ever means you have and surrender it to us. Every hour you do not comply we will kill one of your meat bag crew. Came the chilling answer.
Vorak wanted to speak out, to tell his friend to destroy this installation and leave. But he did not speak, to many lives were at stake on this large landing party.