A Neonatal Cocktail

[Deleted]

As the doors parted, Grace stepped back into the base. She had to admit, she was glad to be back, and actually very eager to start. In her hand was a PADD upon which she had already been making a few notes. She couldn't help but second-guess herself on so many of the calculations. She certainly had every intention of running the numbers by Dr. Diego and Lieutenant Hunter. Trying to tailor the T'Kellian lizard DNA to interact successfully with Breatach DNA was appearing easier than she thought. Hence, the nagging feeling that she was almost certainly doing something wrong.

Lifting her head from the screen, her eyes looked around. She didn't see Lt. Hunter or Lt. Frost anywhere. Part of her wondered if they had stepped out to explore some of the other travesties that had overtaken Breas because of its damaged moon. She began to move towards the lab, but again there was no sign of them. Grace looked over her shoulder at Luis and Etilen to see if either of them had seen noticed Hunter or Frost, and that she had simply been too preoccupied to notice.

"I suppose we should start as soon as possible," said Grace. She held out her PADD for Luis could oversee the calculations that she'd made on the trek back to base from the grotto. "I'll try to raise Lieutenant Hunter on the comm link." Grace paused a moment, hoping to gauge Luis' reactions to what she'd shared, but soon gave in to the temptation to summon Hunter. His presence and involvement in dealing with this T'Kellian lizard extract could only improve their chances.

"Ensign Cunningham to Lieutenant Hunter," Grace called into the air after taking a few steps away. She waited a moment, hoping to hear him respond. "Sir, we may have a way to address the fetal deaths and deformaties. It's based on some research you've previously done with T'Kellian lizards. Are you available to assist?" As soon as the words left her mouth, Grace wanted to kick herself. How was he supposed to be assisting when it was practically his idea? Well, his and Dr. Ericson's, but still.... Grace waited patiently, expecting a tongue-lashing from the regal scientific mind on the other end of the comm link.

TAG: Hunter, Luis, Etilen, Any

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Luis was glad to be back at the base camp. It was cooler inside than outside. As Grace handed him her PADD he made his way over to a replicator and ordered a coffee. Sitting down at a table he compared his notes to hers. The numbers didn't look good.

"I suppose we should start as soon as possible," he heard her say.

"If they can't replace the moon and we can't make enough serum soon enough these people are doomed." It was then he noticed Girmay standing by the door listening, a grim expression on his face. "Sorry," he apologized, not realizing the big Breatach was there at first and could hear him. Girmay nodded and waved his hand at him but looked down at the floor. Luis felt very guilty at the moment.

"I'll try to raise Lieutenant Hunter on the comm link." Grace told him to which he nodded. If anyone understood more about the chemistry of this serum it would be Hunter.

"Damn," he cursed softly and put down both his and Grace's PADDs. Picking up the coffee he took as sip. "I was hoping for a bit more discrepancy between our numbers but they keep coming up the same. At the moment there's only a 25% survival rate. I would like to see that raised to at least a 50% survival rate or higher, if possible. Check the numbers to see if I made a mistake," he said to her as he sat back in his chair folding his arms across his chest and blew out a mouth of air with disgust.

TAG Grace, Etilen, Any

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//"Understood."//

Hunter's single word had been a while ago, and Grace and Luis had had time to perform several attempts at replicating an effective serum. Hunter had hurried as fast as he could without appearing harried and making the natives nervous. It was a fine line when one wanted to run full speed toward discovery.

"Check the numbers to see if I made a mistake."

"Gladly," Hunter said, though Luis' comment had been aimed at Grace. He threw his bag down and moved over to where Luis was sitting. Turning the monitor slightly, he studied what had been done. "The numbers are fine," he muttered as he leaned forward. Something was off, though, to make the results fail miserably. He closed his eyes and tilted back his head as he thought. The original experiments had involved human DNA. Yet, the scientists in the room had taken that into consideration and altered it already. It should be working. If not the genetic alterations, then what? He took in a deep breath and let it out, then did it again. On the second exhalation, his eyes popped open. "The matrix," he said. "A fish is only as healthy as the water surrounding it."

Slowly, he turned his head toward Grace. "Do it," he said. "I'll just stand here in case you need an assist." Internally, he was laughing.

Tag Grace/Luis

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"The numbers are fine," instead of Grace's voice he heard Hunter's but that shouldn't have surprised him. Grace had just called him to come to the base camp. But what surprised him was the speed from the time of her call to him actually arriving.

Luis watched Hunter as he looked over and compared the tricorder results and the numbers it spit out to him. Hunter's conclusions were the same as theirs.

"The matrix, A fish is only as healthy as the water surrounding it."

"The matrix," Luis spoke as he looked off. "Change the matrix of the egg and you change the development. That means that the moon causes the matrix to change somehow. I was thinking more simplistically, like the changing of the tides on earth. I was thinking the moon caused the albumin to move and keep the fetus and yolk sac from sticking to the shell but there's something more to this. It must cause an actual chemical change to the egg.

"Let me help you, Grace," he said as he got up, leaving his cup behind on the table but picking up both of their PADDs and headed for the lab. It was an enclosed, glassed in area laden with various types of lab equipment. To keep things sterile they had to wear the required reddish lab coats of Starfleet which helped to promote sterility.

"You coming, Hunter?" he asked the man. These experiments were based on his and Sig's testing and work.


TAG Grace, Hunter, Any

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"Check the numbers to see if I made a mistake."

The words were still fresh on Grace's ears as Luis asked her to double-check his figures. Already things seemed dismal and she was more afraid that she'd find that he had worked the numbers correctly. In so many words the people of Breas were practically looking an epidemic that could possibly put them on the road to extinction unless they managed to find a way to remedy the entire situation. Her hand hadn't even managed to reach for the PADD before a pair of larger hands intercepted the PADD.

"Gladly."

Grace recognized the voice almost instantly. It was Lieutenant Hunter. He had arrived and was already overlooking the work that Grace and Luis had done. She tried to read his face, but she didn't see any tells revealing the man's thoughts. "The numbers are fine." It was like a death knell that forced Grace's spirits to sink. What were they doing wrong? Grace looked in Luis' direction, as if to silently solicit any sort of solutions he may have formed. And then, she heard Hunter's voice once more. "The matrix. A fish is only as healthy as the water surrounding it."

Grace's brow furrowed a bit as she tried to figure out what Hunter was referring to. When he mentioned the matrix, she could only think that the issue was something with the DNA matrix. Her mental musings were interrupted as she heard him speak once more. "Do it. I'll just stand here in case you need an assist."

Grace's jaw dropped slightly. She wasn't really ruffled by the challenge of the task, but at the comment that Hunter had made... about being their if she needed an assist. Her eyes closed and she mentally chided herself. She started to explain, but didn't think Hunter was interested in an apology. Of course that wouldn't stop her from doing so profusely when this mission was over. For now, there was much to consider where the development of the extract was concerned.

"The matrix," she repeated as her eyes looked at the PADD. Her fingers moved across the screen as she brought the sprialed DNA sequence in front of her. She began to do a little resequencing, splitting the T'Kellian lizard DNA and attempting to align it with a slice of Breatach DNA. Ever so often she paused. It was hardly a perfect match. Though, she then began to attempt splicing at the T'Kellian lizard DNA to see if she could get it to fit the Breatach sequence. Her brow furrowed as she bit at her bottom lip.

Finally, she submitted her PADD to Lieutenant Hunter and Dr. Diego for them to inspect. "I think that gets rid of most of the defects, but...." A sigh of frustration escaped her lips. "I also think it reactivates several dormant genes... such as a tail." She began to follow Luis as he led the way to the lab. For the time being, it was all she could think to do. Hopefully, the changes she made would make the extract a bit more malleable and perform as they originally hoped it would within the egg.

She paused as Luis asked Hunter if he were coming. He was currently the expert, but Grace was still timid after having been called on her earlier words. Would he join them in the lab, or would she be reduced to the task of ferrying his input in and out of the lab. Somehow, it seemed to be apt punishment for trivializing such a keen scientific mind.

TAG: Luis, Hunter, Any

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Hunter listened to Luis try to grasp the concept. It was rewarding to watch the minds of others open up to new possibilities. Grace, too, rose to the challenge and began her own series of alterations. He watched her face as it changed like mercury with each and every failure.

"I think that gets rid of most of the defects, but... I also think it reactivates several dormant genes... such as a tail."

He was about to reach for her PADD, but Luis was quicker and soon the doctor was carrying the data devices out of the room. Hunter smirked slightly. "I'm right behind you," he said to Diego at the man's query. Glancing at Grace, he smiled. "Come on. I'll show you how to tickle the DNA." He jerked his thumb toward the lab and trotted after Diego. Once outfitted and inside of the lab, he picked up a sterile PADD and transferred Grace's information to it. They were close to a cure, he could feel it. Very close. "I think we can dispense with the tail," he remarked as he tapped. "Look." He held out the PADD as he worked and soon the markers that would add a tail to the species disappeared. "Now for the big problem. It's the signal protein, I think."

Hunter paused, his blue eyes unblinking as his mind played with the problem. After a minute or two, his lids closed for a second and he smiled as he opened them. "You were right, Luis," he said. "The pull of the moon has caused a problem with the flow in the development of the-" He shrugged. "-chicks." No one would fault him on that, especially now. "We need to enhance the vascular endothelial growth factor." He bounced around the lab, grabbing what he needed, and thrust it all into the arms of Grace. "Once we do that, it'll restore the oxygenation to the tissues that has been disrupted by the inadequate lunar pull!" He looked at Grace. "What are you waiting for, get cooking!" The grin on his face was sure to be contagious.

Tag Any

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"The pull of the moon has caused a problem with the flow in the development of the --- chicks."

Luis couldn't help but to laugh at Hunter's choice of words when he called them chicks. Only Hunter could be so bold and he loved it. As smart as the man was he was also funny and was able to see the humor in most situations. Plus the fact that they were actually beginning to work on a viable solution. The overall feeling in the lab was positive and upbeat.

"I think that gets rid of most of the defects, but... I also think it reactivates several dormant genes... such as a tail." Grace commented.

"I can think of worse things," Luis chuckled.

"Come on. I'll show you how to tickle the DNA."

Luis laughed again. In his mind he could actually see Hunter tickling the DNA making it giggle and squirm.

"We need to enhance the vascular endothelial growth factor. Once we do that, it'll restore the oxygenation to the tissues that has been disrupted by the inadequate lunar pull!"

The mention of the moon returned to Luis's mind and he sobered slightly. The thought of the crumbling rock in space was a source of irritation to him, especially when the Breatach knew it was important for the development of generations of their species.

He also noticed Hunter's flirtation with Grace. It wasn't a blatant flirtation, per say, that you could actually measure and it wasn't clear whether or not Grace saw it, but to the Ensign's benefit she seemed to down play it as though she didn't notice. Not that he was jealous, he was not. He liked Grace but she was a coworker and below rank. He never saw her as a possible love interest. For now he would say nothing. There was more important things to worry about.

"What are you waiting for, get cooking!"

And there was that bit of spark from Hynter that returned the smile to Luis's face.

TAG Hunter, Grace, Any

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Etilen watched the group for a little while, but decided he wasn't going to be much use to them now they had began to experiment. He decided to head upstairs and get changed into his off-duty outfit while they blabbered on about science.

He climbed the winding stairs and when he reached the top, took off his shirt and placed it on his bed. Unfortunately, he noticed a diminutive figure looking at him from the table in the centre: Shreg. The Bajoran covered himself, slightly embarrassed.

"Ensign, I do appreciate your... physique," the Tellarite said slowly. "But I'd appreciate it even more if you checked if anyone was here before... exposing yourself." The man smiled, and broke into a hearty laugh. Etilen smiled awkwardly, and exchanged his grubby uniform for a blue t-shirt and cream chinos, pulling the curtain around his area.

Once he was done, he sprayed himself with some aftershave to get rid of the smell of grubbiness, and pulled back the curtain. He sat with Shreg and debated politics plus other trivial things for about an hour. What a strong-willed man he was. Every time Etilen thought he had proven his side of the argument, Shreg would swoop in and counter everything he had just said. That's Tellarites for you Etilen thought.

He picked up a fruit from the middle of the table and cut it in half with the supplied knife, into a bowl. The inside looked like a cross between a pomegranate and orange, and it smelled sweet. Etilen bit into it, and was surprised by its taste. It was like the smell of fresh grass, mint and lime mixed into one, and it was extremely good. He passed a bit to Shreg, and his look confirmed it was delicious.

"I bet this would be great in a fruit salad," he chuckled, and bit into another segment, savouring the taste.

Tag: All

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Grace smiled with a bit of encouragement as both Luis and William pointed out that the reactivation of dormant genes in the extract they were creating was hardly the end of the world. Luis was right, things could have been worse. And William confidently told her that he could show her how to tickle the DNA, hinting that he knew exactly what needed to be done to not only fix the mistakes that she'd made, but solve their problem. Grace followed them into the lab, and proceeded to dress in the crimson lab wear before stepping into the lab.

Once inside, she watched as Hunter recalled her earlier extract model onto one of the sterile PADDs in the lab. Her eyes moved from the display to him, watching as he worked his scientific magic. "I think we can dispense with the tail." She watched as his hands moved across the screen and then as he gestured for her to gaze upon his work. "Look. Now for the big problem. It's the signal protein, I think." His mind effortlessly switched from one task (after solving it) to the next.

Grace stared momentarily at the display, realizing that they were so close to the cure. "You were right, Luis. The pull of the moon has caused a problem with the flow in the development of the -- chicks." Grace was pretty certain that term wasn't exactly politically correct, and the Breatach may not appreciate it. Of course, Grace was pretty certain that Lt. Hunter would never utter such a term in their presence. At best, it was a slip of the tongue, she told herself. "We need to enhance the vascular endothelial growth factor."

It was as if a spark had ignited an inferno. Lt. Hunter began to bustle around the lab, pulling item after item. It was all Grace could do to follow him, and possibly luckily so. He only turned to put item after item into her arms. Grace managed to keep them all balanced and nestled in her arms. "Once we do that, it'll restore the oxygenation to the tissues that has been disrupted by the inadequate lunar pull!" His eyes fell on Grace, harboring a smile. "What are you waiting for, get cooking!"

"Yes, sir!" said Grace. She immediately shuffled over to the work space and begin setting things in order. She readied a sample of Breatach DNA beneath the scanner and then turned her eyes to a display overhead. On one screen was the DNA, while on the other was model that Hunter had finally synthesized. The T'Kellian DNA stood close by, still in cryo-containment. "The samples are prepared for re-sequencing." Grace took a step back to look at both of the men in the lab. She didn't presume to undertake the task of putting together the final pieces. Luis was the doctor and Hunter the architect of all of this. At most, she was prepared to assist.

TAG: Luis, Hunter, Any

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There was a slow motion through the surrounding shrubbery, so slow that it could be an animal foraging, innocently grazing, nibbling, munching its way along the edge of the foliage that ran close to the mostly transparent building. In fact, it was anything but. Hunched down, careful to stay concealed, they moved closer and closer until they stopped and observed once again, as they had been doing ever since the team had arrived. They had followed along while the security officer played his computer game. Had been just inches away from where the flea-ridden rodent scampered off. And now, they were meters away from the base camp building, watching as the security officer walked up the stairs.

A head nodded and weapons were pulled from hips, targeted, and fired. Inside the building, the graceful glass shattered instantly with the blasts, sending shards flying. It was a chaos of sight and sound as the weapons continued to fire, shooting into the lab, decimating the sterile field, equipment, and property. They next targeted the supports and the second floor began to lean precariously to the side, toward the grotto below.

As the dust and debris settled, the figures moved back into the brush, hiding once more, changing their position from where the blasts had originated. Waiting once again for the survivors to emerge.

Tag, oh, any

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She couldn't recall exactly when it had all gone to hell.

Grace could remember standing there, staring in the direction of Dr. Diego and Lt. Hunter. She was almost certain that they were mere moments from solving the problems of the Breas' people. At least where their hatchlings were concerned. Yet, what transpired next, Grace wasn't sure. The moment of anticipation and joy... moments she was certain that her mother had experienced time and time again had simply vanished and was replaced with nothing short of chaos.

All Grace could remember was that at first she was standing, and then she wasn't. She wasn't sure if she instinctively dove to the floor of the lab, or if she'd been knocked onto the floor by something or someone. All she could remember was the violent collision of her body with the floor. Shards of glass and other debris soon began to rain down upon her... upon them. Grace's hands instinctively covered her head. She did her best to conceal her face, but still felt the slight sting of bits of glass brushing along her cheeks.

Her eyes clinched shut as the symphonic chaos continued. The sounds of phasers or disruptors could be heard rushing through the building. At least that was Grace believed she'd heard. She couldn't bring herself to open her eyes to see what was going on. Then, there were loud sounds of destruction. She could heard what sounded like bits of the ceiling falling down around her. Tiny explosions as the electronics in the lab were damaged, destroyed... the light fixtures overhead exploding as well. And then, there was the loud sound of something being demolished... metal creaking as it was bent, shredded and torn.

And while it seemed like it would never end... the cacophony soon subsided. Grace continued to lie curled up on the floor, her arms still in position to protect her face. She could feel some pain, knowing that she'd been struck by some debris, thrown by force or fallen from above. She wasn't sure if she should move or not. Was it even safe to do so. Her heart was pounding... beating rapidly. It was only her concern that finally forced her to open her eyes and search for her colleagues.

Slowly, she shifted her body, so that her stomach was against the floor. Her palms turned to press against the floor, to support her body. She soon saw that as a mistake. She felt a shard of glass slide into her hands and quickly pulled it up. Turning it to face her, she could see some blood already starting to ooze from the wound. Though, that was hardly something to be concerned about. Her eyes set about the destruction that had once been a lab as she searched through the carnage for any sign of her fellow crew members.

TAG: Luis, Hunter, Etilen, Any

[Deleted]

"The samples are prepared for re-sequencing."

It was the perfect moment in time. Before him, spread across the work surface, were the tools necessary to create yet another miracle. Not with words, not with force, but with their minds and with science. Few in the universe knew how Hunter felt at this moment and even fewer would ever experience it. Many went their entire careers without having a single 'aha' moment. Hunter, however, was privileged to be in Starfleet, where these moments were expected. As he raised a hand to conduct the re-sequencing, that perfect moment exploded, their work destroyed before his eyes. He stood, immobile, longer than he should have, watching the hopes of the planet dwindle to nothingness.

A shard of glass struck his hand, shaking him from his statuesque state of being and he snatched the PADD from the counter before dropping to the ground. Shoving the device into a pocket in the suit, he squirmed against the counter, taking refuge in the ninety degree angle that protected him from much of the larger falling debris. "Etilen," he shouted. Where the hell was the security guard? A blast shot past him and he realized it probably wasn't a good idea to be keying the attacker in on his location.

Soon, the onslaught ceased and he remained still. He wanted to call out to the others, but he also knew it wasn't a good idea; whomever was attacking had the advantage. He groaned inwardly as he realized that his gear was all out in the main room, shucked off in order for him to put on the isolation suit. Grace and Luis were similarly unarmed. As the dust settled, he was able to make out the form of the nurse. He motioned her to stay where she was. Like a butterly slipping from its chrysalis, Hunter quietly slithered out of his red suit, making him less of an easy target to spot, before retrieving the PADD and placing it under his shirt. Staying low to the floor, he crawled over to her, his forearm sweeping debris ahead of him so that he wouldn't be punctured in vulnerable areas. It was not the quietest of procedures, but he had to find out if she was okay. Once he was next to her, he could see that she was relatively uninjured. "We need to get out of here," he whispered to her. To add emphasis to his words, the floor above creaked loudly and more debris rained down to the main floor.

Tag Any

[Deleted]

Luis was watching Hunter closely as he did indeed tickle the DNA. He was slack jawed as the genes seemed to dance across the screen.

"Look. Now for the big problem. It's the signal protein, I think," Hunter spoke as he quickly worked. The man was pure genius.

"Good bye little tail and hello life," Luis spoke softly, clearly impressed with the man's work.

"The samples are prepared for re-sequencing," Hunter spoke again as they all watched.

"They should make you a saint," Luis spoke. "Saint Hunter of Breas," Luis was of course teasing but yet not. He seldom spoke of his beliefs but did believe in saints and this man was clearly performing a saintly act as he did indeed tickle the DNA to perform at his bidding. Now finally they had a viable solution. They would be able to save generations of Beatachian hatchlings.

He opened his mouth to congratulate Hunter but just as he did the unexpected happened. Luis's back was to the side of the lab where the hell broke loose. The blasts tore into the building and the lab. As in slow motion Luis instinctively turned towards the direction of the loud blasts and it was a mistake as shards of glass blew towards him. Before he had time react one large shard caught his right cheek and sliced it open. Another shot like a bullet hitting him in the right humerus cutting through tissue and embedding in the bone.

He felt his body falling violently backwards and spinning as other glass shards shot past his head and body. On his way down, the right side of his head collided violently with one of the work tables that held various lab equipment. When he finally landed on the floor he was unconscious and bleeding badly from the wounds.

TAG Any

[Deleted]

The blast hit him like a rock. Shards of glass rained everywhere, metal ripped and squealed, spraying shrapnel right towards him. Etilen turned towards the staircase, only to see it had been ripped apart. A large chunk of glass embedded itself in his left forearm, causing his phaser, which he had drawn earlier, to jerk out of his hand. He quickly grabbed it again, before another piece of shrapnel shot past him, catching Shreg right in the ear. The man bellowed, and ripped the metal out.

Suddenly, the whole top floor began to tilt towards the grotto. The Bajoran ran to the edge.

"Shreg!" He shouted. "JUMP!" He climbed onto the windowsill and sprang out of the falling building, twisting his leg painfully as he fell. Shreg followed, and rolled onto the ground, seemingly unharmed. Etilen stood up and grabbed his phaser. "If I can weld the girder together with this, I could stop the building from-," Etilen stopped in his tracks as the last girder snapped and the whole floor toppled aside into the grotto. The man shouted, helpless to do anything. His heart sank deeper than it had ever sank. His rage took over, and he shot his phaser at the ground, making a sizable hole, and then lobbed it away. He had failed his duty to protect his teammates. Shreg saw his anguish and patted him on the shoulder.

"It was not your fault," the Tellarite told him. "You could not have even assumed the Breatach or anyone would attempt such a violent and shameful act of terrorism."

"I guess, but if I had just stayed alert, I could have stopped it." He mumbled, but then saw movement in the bushes beside him.

"Show yourself," Shreg growled. The figure stopped in its tracks and began to make its way out of the foliage.

Tag: NPC, All

(OOC: Oooh drama! I like this!)

[Deleted]

"We need to get out of here."

Hunter's words had a slight calming effect on Grace, bringing her back from the edge of sheer panic. She nodded, knowing that he was right. There was another creek from above, and Grace instinctively raised her arms up to protect her head. It was only a few small bits, and some dust that came down upon her for now. When she believed it was safe, she lifted her head and returned her gaze back upon Hunter. She gave him a nod of agreement. They did have to get out of there, but they needed to find everyone else also. The first person, the one that had to be the closest was Luis.

Grace's eyes looked around the lab until finally she saw his motionless form not too far away. "Luis?" she called to him with a forceful whisper, but there was no response. She then began to notice the blood that was pooling around him. "Oh my God! Luis!" Instinct took over as Grace quickly crawled over to him. She was careful not to injure herself further, but moved with all sense of urgency. As she got to him, she noticed the wound on his arm, but her attention was on the blood pooling around his head.

She wiggled herself into a sitting position and found herself following Hunter's lead and removing the lab wear she was wearing. As she did, she reached for one of the sleeves and immediately begin to pull it. Hearing the fabric rip, she tore the sleeve off and then used it to fashion a bit of a tourniquet just above the wound on his arm. She then turned her attention to his head. She lifted his head slightly and slid the rest of her torn garb in place so that she could attempt to apply pressure to the wound.

"We need to stabilize him," said Grace. Her eyes looked around at the sheer carnage around them. She was clearly searching for something. "I need a medi-kit. A coagulant to stop the bleeding. Since he's likely concussed... a mild stimulant to hopefully wake him." At least then she'd be able to better assess his injuries. Otherwise, there was no way that they could move Luis. Her eyes fell on Hunter, hoping that he understood her line of thought.

Her heart froze at the sound of a voice, as someone shouted "Show yourself." Looking to Hunter, she didn't know what to do. Was someone calling out for them to reveal themselves? Or... was it possible that Etilen and the rest of the away team had seen their attackers?

TAG: Hunter, Luis, Etilen, Any