“That should… do it,” Selara finished with the dermal regenerator. “Give that a few minutes to heal and you’ll be just fine. Just… use a ladder next time.” She smiled warmly and put a hand on the officer’s shoulder. She started walking to her office.

“Doctor, there’s something wrong with the displays,” Lieutenant Mox reported. The screen blinked and he hit it with the flat of his hand.

Selara chuckled, “I don’t think that’s advisable by Engin-” The sentence was never finished as she was thrown off of her feet. Selara grunted as her back hit something hard. She looked over her shoulder and looked down into her office. Wait, down? The thought was barely processed as a piece of medical equipment came flying towards her. Selara quickly batted it away. “All those years playing parrises squares paid off.”

Taking a quick breath and closing her eyes, Selara felt her body slide down the wall. She came to a stop in a sitting position on the ground. She blinked a couple of times. Darkness.

“Computer, full illumination.”

No response.

She tapped her combadge, “Selara to the Bridge.”

No response.

“Fantastic,” Selara said with a sigh. She felt along the wall as she shakily got to her feet. “This is Commander Selara!” She shouted throughout Sickbay. “I need names and injuries if you’re able to report.”

“Ensign Korren. I… I think I broke my arm.” A voice came to her left. “Uh, CMS is still intact,” He sucked in air between his teeth. “It just hurts like hell.”

“Make your way to a surface you can put your back against and stay put.”

Slowly the officers reported in: All were conscious and injuries minor. Selara struggled through mind fog to count how many people were in Sickbay. Seven… five medical officers and two patients. All were accounted for.

“All right everyone, we’re officially operating under Lights Out Protocol, Level Alpha,” Selara called out. “Lieutenant Mox, make your way to the door and lockdown Sickbay. Everyone else, make your way to a wall and see if you can find an emergency kit. An icoberry torte to the person who finds one first,” She chuckled.

Closing her eyes, Selara tried to recall the layout of Sickbay. She was near her office, so the door should be a meter or two to her left. She slid along the glass wall and eventually felt the cold metal on her back. She ran her hands across the door until she felt a gap in the door. Was the door paused in a moment of opening? With a grunt, she pushed the doors far enough for her to slip inside. She at least knew where one emergency kit was.

“Here’s what we know,” Selara started. The Sickbay group formed around the receptionist’s desk for a briefing. “Power is out completely. Since emergency power hasn’t kicked on, we’ll run under the assumption it’s ship-wide.” Her face was illuminated by the portable lighting. “Ship-wide communications is out. Short-range communication is… spotty, but intact. Ensign Korren?”

Korren spoke up, his broken arm in a sling. “For supplies, we have emergency rations and lights. Both are designed to last about a week of conservative use. Tricorders are serviceable but obviously can’t connect to the ship. We’ll have to rely on the local database. On average they should last a few days with constant use. Most of our equipment has a battery backup, but they aren’t designed for extended use. Use manual settings whenever possible. We have enough emergency blankets for 50 people. It’s going to start getting cold in here pretty fast.” He reached into the emergency crate. “We have an emergency PADD. It’s magnetically shielded, but has relatively static information.”

Selara nodded, “Emergency Response Team, make your way through the ship and provide medical relief. If you come across anyone, bring them back here. It seems we’ll need you a little longer, Mr. Mendez.”

“Hey, that’s all right,” Lieutenant Mendez said with a smile. “I was just doing sea life classification anyway.”

“I want you out of here in ten,” Selara said. She nodded to Lieutenants Sukal and Mendez, dismissing them from the briefing.

Selara walked the Response Team to the entrance to Sickbay. “You’ll have to use badge-to-badge communication. Report to Ensign Korren every 15 minutes. We’re running on theories, and a strong emphasis on ‘short-range’. Your communications will last maybe a deck or two from here.” She sighed, “After that, you’re on your own.”

Sukal and Mendez nodded.

“I don’t know what you’ll face out there. Move safely and remember your objectives.” She nodded and Lieutenant Mox activated the manual release for the Sickbay doors.

The Emergency Response Team walked through the door to the corridor and was quickly swallowed up by the darkness.