When Commander Mary Anacostia-Bolling arrived in Sickbay at the request of her Chief Medical Officer, the scene that met her eyes was a little more chaotic than she’d expected.

Doctor Sunny was scanning a male member of the crew with a Medical Tricorder, whilst the EMH was performing the same task on a female Vulcan. These two were not however the only patients present.

“What’s going on?” The Commander asked looking around.

“That’s what I’m trying to establish.” The CMO replied, giving the man he was dealing with a strong dose of sedative that sent the patient to sleep. “It all kicked off with Miss Trazan over there, and I’ve now got five crewmembers in here all with similar symptoms.”

“Which are?” Anacostia-Bolling enquired, feeling concern for her crew.

“They are all complaining of severe headaches and hallucinations.” Doctor Sunny replied.  “I’ve even had to put Nurse Folland to sleep, which really isn’t helping matters.”

“What have they reported seeing?”

“A mix of things that scare them and lost loved ones, so far at least.”

The Commander taped the small device attached to her temple. “I thought these things were meant to prevent something like this happening?”

“We appear to have vastly underestimated the power of whatever or whoever is creating all this.”  Doctor Sunny moved on to another of his patients.

Just then Lieutenant Giovanni Agusta, Head of the Astrometric section, came stumbling in. “Their laughing at me, their laughing at me!”

“Who is?” Anacostia-Bolling asked, grabbing the man a guiding him in the direction of one of the beds, even though it was currently occupied. “Who’s laughing at you?”

“The stars, they’re all laughing because I don’t understand!” He blurted out

“What don’t you understand?” The Commander demanded, shaking the Italians shoulders

“We’re all going to die, every last one of use.  It’s inevitable I tell you.”  He got no further with his rant, as at this point the EMH sedated him.

“This is getting out of control!” The normally claim Doctor Sunny was starting to feel exasperated by the situation.

As Anacostia-Bolling moved around the bed she was next to and offer the distraught physician some moral support, her hand was grabbed by that of Ele Trazan.  The Commander felt a flash of pain as if someone had just shoved a red hot spike right into her brain.

Looking across at the doctor’s desk, she could see the figure of a man dressed in a charcoal grey business suit, pale blue shirt and a royal blue tie with silver diamonds.  This alone was an unexpected apparition, made even more startling by the blood stains.

‘You’re a failure Mary.’ Her dead husband yelled from his position sat on the desk top. ‘A failure and a stupid pathetic cow.’

She wanted to shout back at the man who’d caused her so much pain; punch him, kick him, just anything to make him go away.  But there was still part of her brain functioning in the reality of the moment; a part that understood; this couldn’t be happening.  Her husband was dead, turned to ashes at the funeral and scattered to the four winds.  He was certainly not sitting on the table in the corner.

“Doctor.” She finally managed to speak. “I think I may have stumbled upon the answer.”

‘That’s it, run you coward.’ Her husband spat the words out. ‘Run to you friends in Starfleet.’

“Go on Commander.” Sunny looked at the Captain and then in the direction of where her eyes were looking. “What have you just figured out?”

“I think Miss Trazan here may be the centre of everything.” Anacostia-Bolling answered. “And I base this solely on the fact that she is holding my hand, and I’m looking right at my dead husband.”

“I’m so stupid.” Doctor Sunny looked up and the ceiling. “Even a second year med student could have figured that out!”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself Doctor.” The EMH stepped in. “My programming is at fault for not making the connection either.”

“Nurse Folland conducted the scan at my request.”  Doctor Sunny walked over to the Betazed female and gave her another sedative.

Mary watched as her husband faded to nothing, and gave a sigh of relief.  “Well Doctor now you have something to work on, I hope you can find a way of counteracting the effects.”

“Myself and ‘Emmett’ will get right on it.” Emmett was the name Doctor Sunny used to refer to the EMH.

The Captain was about to say something else; when the whole ship shook and alarms began to shrill. She hit her combadge. “Bridge, what just happened/”

“Unauthorized opening of the outer door in cargo bay one.” Her XO answered. “Force fields have activated.”

“Have security meet me in the corridor.”  With those words Anacostia-Bolling ran out of Sickbay.

********

Arriving at the door leading from the corridor into the cargo bay the Commander was met by Lieutenant Grav and crewman Blake; both were armed.

“Do we know who activated the outer door?”  She questioned the Tellarite Chief Security Officer.

“One life sign detected both before and after the external doors opened.” Grav replied.  “Ensign Dravid.”

The Commander was shaken by the revelation, but quickly gathered her thoughts. “Is it safe to enter?”

The Tellarite nodded. “Atmospheric pressure has been restored.”

Anacostia-Bolling stood back as the two security officers entered the bay first.  What had once been ordered rows of containers; had been turned into a jumbled mess by the sudden explosive decompression caused by the outer doors opening.  Anything not anchored in place had been sucked towards the large cargo doors, and a few objects could be seen floating just beyond the force-field; which had automatically activated within seconds; preventing all the oxygen and cargo being sucked out into the void.  The boxes and crates that had been lost, were caught within the warp field bubble, but would not remain there much longer.

Blake was the first to spot Ensign Dravid lying close to the force-field; a metal box pinning down his legs.  “Need to get out of here, too small, no space.” Dravid mumbled.

“Easy guy, you’re lucky to be alive after pulling a stunt like that.” Blake told him, checking for injuries.  “We’ll get you to sickbay and have you looked at by the doc.”

Lieutenant Grav moved over to the control panel and closed the doors, before assisting the security officer in moving the box off the Ensign’s legs.

Commander Anacostia-Bolling looked around her; had a fate like this befallen the crew of the Romulan vessel; were the crew of the Grus in danger to?  They’d been out of contact with anyone for the past three days, so she has no way of knowing what was happening to anyone.

When the Commanders badge chirped, it was her XO on the Bridge. “We’ve picked up a trail, it potentially from the Romulan ship we’ve been looking for.”

“Ok, number one, I’ll be there in a moment.” Mary closed her eyes, contemplating what had happened and potentially what could have happened.  They’d got off lightly this time, she realised that.  Something or someone was using the mind of the Betazed Recreational Manager, to project thoughts and images into the minds of those around them.  Whatever the overall aim, it certainly wasn’t good.