Find the Founders IV

[Sionnach Glic]

"Attention, everyone." Captain Rochey called out, fighting down the urge to shiver in the harshly cold breeze. The other six crewmen who had miraculously survived their uncontrolled plumet onto the desolate ball of rock and sand they were now stranded on turned to him.
"I have something to tell you all. I think you should know that we didn't wind up here here by simple chance." There were a few confused looks from this, but Rochey continued all the same. "Yesterday morning Lieutenant Kolkov, our comms operator, came to see me privately. He told me he had intercepted a transmission that had been sent out to Dominion forces in the region. After decyphering the message we discovered that the Dominion is planning to dispatch a fleet to attack Earth through Breen space, an area that is lightly defended as of now."

"Sir?"

"Yes, Ensign, what is it?" Reliant coughed slightly before replying. "Well, aren't the Breen neutral? Wouldn't that be a violation of thier neutrality?"

"Yes, it would. It seems the Breen are planning to dispatch their own forces to Earth to officialy announce which side they've chosen in this war. A Dominion fleet consisting of about two hundred vessels will acompany them to assist their new allies. Their objective is simple: to level Earth." There was a grim silence at this revalation. Each of them knew that Earth was the heart of the Federation. Its devastation would cripple them, perhaps fatally. The captain paused for a moment before continuing.

"After checking our own records of Starfleet's deployments, I realised that we have twice as many vessels in a system neighbouring the location of the Dominion fleet. If our forces there were warned, they could destroy the fleet while it's still taking on supplies.
I'd originaly planned on simply sending a message to their CO, it wouldn't matter much if it were intercepted as long as the warning got through. But then something happened. Our comms system was sabotaged." As he'd expected, there were alarmed looks from his crew, but he plowed on anyway. It was necessary that he tell them everything, so that even if just one survived the warning would get out.

"I asked for Kolkov to report to my office immediately, so I could ask him whether he'd told anyone else of his discovery, but he never turned up. Our chief of security reported sometime later that Kolkov had been found dead in his quarters, stabbed to death. We had no idea who did it.
With our comms out I ordered us to head back to the nearest starbase at full speed so that we could get the warning out through them. But, as you know, we didn't get there. Our warp drives were sabotaged, and we dropped into this system. Waiting for us was a Jem'hadar battlecruiser. Needless to say, it's a miracle any of us survived. However, we may still be able to get that warning out. Ensign Teaos?"

"Sir?"

"You've completed your inspection of the ship's comm system?"

"I have, sir. It can be repaired, but we'll have to scavange parts from what's left of all the other systems." Teaos said, gesturing at the shattered hulk of the USS Athena rising out of the sand beside them. "It may take few days, however."

"Well, we'll just have to try our best. And I'm afraid I have some further bad news for you." The survivors looked at him in surprise, surely things couldn't get any worse than they already were?

"The traitors that knocked out our engines and comms survived. And they're both standing here amongst us." This news was instantly greeted with alarm. The small group that Bob, Stitch and Tsu had formed broke up rapidly, each of them eyeing the others. Mark glared suspiciously at the closest person to him, Reliant, who simply stood staring in shock. Teaos' hand drifted towards his holstered phaser.

"Just before our engines were sabotaged I asked the computer to scan the crew and list the number of species aboard. It revealed that there were two Founders aboard with us. As there are no puddles of orange-y goo around, I can only conclude that both of them survived the crash with us. Because of this, none of you are to go anywhere alone. Always go with someone else." Rochey glanced up at the rapidly darkening sky. "That's it for tonight. I'd advise everyone to get some sleep I'll make up a guard duty list in a short while. Dismissed."

-----Early next morning-----

"Sir?" Called a voice quietly, waking the captain up. Dim sunlight streamed in through the tears in the Defiant-class vessel's hull. Rochey guessed it was around dawn.

"What is it, Ensign?"

"There's something I think you should see."

"What is it?"

"I woke up early and decided to take a look at the comm system."

"And?"

"It wasn't too badly damaged, I managed to fix it.

"What?!" Rochey exclaimed, confused.

"It's true," The other said. "Come one, I'll show you."

Climbing quickly to his feet, Rochey became suddenly suspicious of this. Things that seemed too good to be true generaly were. He was careful to make sure he had his combadge and phaser with him as he followed the Ensign outside to investigate the transmitter located on the vessel's hull. Picking his way through the debris of the crash, the two eventualy made it to the opened access panel Teaos had been investigating the day before. Rochey hurried up to the panel and stared in eagerly. He tapped a few buttons to get it started, but nothing happened.

"It's still not working. I thought you said y--" Rochey was cut off as something heavy slammed into his back. He fell forward, slamming his head against the armoured hull of the Athena, and fell to the ground. He scrabbled for his phaser, but a tentacle materialised out of the ship's hull next to him and snatched it away. A moment later the tentacle was followed by its owner.

"You!" Rochey gasped, staggering back to his feet.

"Yes." The figure replied coldly. "Me. Or rather, us." It said, gesturing at its companion. "You know, it was rather stupid to announce our survival to everyone. Didn't you realise we'd just kill you quicker?" It paused for a moment, as if awaiting an answer, and then grabbed Rochey by the neck and threw him against the side of the ship. There was an audible crack of breaking bones. The first Founder quickly darted forward, grabbing the captain' combade.

"Just shoot me and get it over with." Rochey snarled, spitting blood into the sand beside him and struggling once more to his feet. The Founder who had stolen his gun looked at it for a moment, seemingly considering it, but then tossed the phaser calmly onto the sand.

"Ah, but captain," It said, picking up a long, sharp piece of debris. "I'm afraid you're not getting off that easily. Oh no, you're not going to die pleasantly." With that, it swung the sharpened rod around in an arc, slashing through Rochey's neck with ease and splashing the Athena's hull with blood.

Rochey staggered back, clutching pointlessly at his throat, blood pouring out through his fingers. He stumbled as fast as he could away from the Founders, trying to get back to the rest of his crew. After just a few steps he fell forward onto the sand, warming quickly under the rising sun. He scrabbled futiley at the hull of his ship, trying to drag himself back to his feet, but his strength was fading fast. In desperation he tried calling out for help, already knowing that his crew were too far away to ever hear him, but only succeded in spraying blood across the sand.
He fell to the ground one last time. Even as his own blood began to pour into his lungs, slowly drowning him, he tried crawling away, but to no avail.

The Founders watched his pointless escape attempt, occasionaly taking a few steps forward to ensure he was still within arms reach. Eventualy he gave up, rolling onto his back and waiting for death to claim him.

The Founders watched him dying.

They watched him a little longer.

After a short while, one of them commented "These humans can take quite a while to die, can't they?"

"Indeed." Replied the other one, looking up at the sun. "Perhaps you should just kill him now. We have to get back before anyone realises we're gone."

"Good idea." The other said, stalking over to the jerking, spasming form of Captain Rochey, and swinging the long metal pole down at his head, splitting it like a melon. "Come on." He said, tossing the bloody weapon away. "Let's go."


-----30 minutes later-----

"So," Said Tsu as he walked next to Mark, the two of them carrying crates of equipment the crew had managed to scavenge from the wrecked ship. "Who do you think they are?"

"Who who are?" Asked Mark.

"Who the Founders are, I mean."

"No idea. I don't suppose asking if you're one would be all that helpful?"

"If I was one, do you think I'd say so?"

"Not really, no."

"Exactly." Tsu said. He had just opened his mouth to say something else when he spotted something lying on the ground near the aft of the downed vessel. "What's that?" He asked Mark, trying to make it out as the two approached it.

"What's what?"

"That."

"Oh, yeah, I see it now. Actualy, it looks kinda like "

There was few moments of stunned silence as both of them observed their captain's bloodied body.

Seconds later they were screaming into their combadges for everyone to get up and get out there.

[Mark]

:::scrabbling over his forgotton crates:::

Holy s**t. What the hell happened?

:::pulls up short upon seeing the body:::

Oh my God...............

Captain?

:::falls to his knees and begins to retch:::

[Reliant121]

-runs onto the scene and almost falls over Mark-

christ, what the hell happened?

-pulls out phaser pistol and begins scanning the area-

[Nickswitz]

Wow, what happened. I was asleep since the crash. Seriously.... Is that a person, or was it? ::stands and looks at the body while cringing::
That isn't pleasant looking.

[stitch626]

:: Looks around without really moving ::
Well, this isn't good. I think our objectives are clear: we need to find who the Founders are and detain them, or kill them if necessary.
The question is, how do we go about doing this? How do we make sure that we don't kill true Starfleet Officers?
We certainly cannot take this lightly. We have a duty to protect the Federation, and in order to do so, we must get word of the Dominion fleet to any Starfleet ship.

First however, I think we should bury Rochey, instead of staring at his mutilated corpse, as a sign of respect... and to remove the smell when he starts to decay.

[Reliant121]

That seems to be a practical way of lookin, at it sure enough...

[Tsukiyumi]

I think we could construct a cairn a few dozen meters to the north; that way, none of us are out of sight for very long. I'll help dig.

When I get back, we're going to sort this out. I want those shape-shifting scumbags dead.

[Reliant121]

Hear hear to that. I'd say it's best to walk or go anywhere in pairs, means we stay safe and can keep an eye on one and t'other if you know what i mean.

[Nickswitz]

Same here, :: looks around oddly:: DId you say shape-shifters? How did they get on board, when did we get told this? :: slowly walks toward weapons locker:: I'll carry a phaser just in case.

[stitch626]

The Captain told us about them while you were unconscious. As for phasers, well they didn't help the Captain, but I'll carry one just in case.

[Tsukiyumi]

Well, Nick, I'm going with Rochey's assumption that the Founders on board survived the crash. I'd say his murder illustrates his point pretty well.

[Nickswitz]

When did Rochey assume this. I never heard this assumption. ::grabs up a phaser and charges it up:: Wait, I was asleep, wasn't I? I always miss the important meetings.

[Tsukiyumi]

We'll save the reprimand for after we get back. In the meantime, I need to bury my friend, and the rest of you need to get to work on that comm system. Also, see if the replicators are working; I need a beer.

[stitch626]

I don't know much about engineering... alright if I help with the burial?

[Nickswitz]

You want to get wasted at a time like this. That's real smart, unless you're a founder, in which case you wouldn't care. ::eyeing Tsuki suspiciously::