“Gentlemen, I think we may have an issue.” as the three officers reached a crossroad intersection. “According to the readings we go straight here, the problem is according to the maps and information we got, that direction leads toward a residential neighbourhood. “

Dougal glanced around confusion etched on his face. “Ma’am? I dinnae ken the problem.”

O’Shea exhaled as he looked around at the increasingly quiet streets and shrugged, “Residential or not we need to follow this through. The human life signs are this way so that is where we will go.” For the next fifteen minutes, they made their way through the streets and entered what was clearly a residential area of some affluence. The houses were of moderate size and clean with gardens of flowers and what appeared to be vegetable beds. Glancing down at the tricorder O’Shea nodded towards a house off to their right. “The reads are this way, I think one of the team is inside here. I am detecting several life signs of locals as well. We need to be careful.”

Cezear looked at he street in both directions do get an idea of the lay of the land. “any ideas, not like we can just go up and ask if they have a house guest. And we don’t want to spook who ever is here. I’m trying to get a better reading to match against what we have on the posts crew but we are still getting that interference.”

“We pose as medical personnel,” Aimee suggested. “It will give me a chance to test the cure on the local population as well. It’s working on us but I don’t know for sure it will work on them.”

O’Shea nodded at Aimee’s suggestion, “That is sound. Lets give it a go.” He paused for a moment, “Should we have some sort of uniform? Though I guess we could just stun them if needed but I would like to keep that as a last resort.”

“Medical personnel works for me, well let Aimee take the lead on this one I’m guessing.  As long as one of us gains entry with her. the other two should cover the back and sides Incase our person of interest  tries to run.” 

“Agreed,” O’Shea said as he looked at the others. “I will go in with Aimee. Dougal, you and Cezear remain outside and keep an eye on the exits. I do not expect they will run as I would be surprised if they are able to at the moment but best to be careful.”

Turning to Aimee he nodded, “After you Doc. Let’s go find our wayward soul.”

“Somehow I doubt they will trust a female doctor,” she said to O’Shea.  “You better pose as the Doc until we get things sorted.” She dug around in her bag and produced an old fashioned stethoscope. “Here wrap this around your neck.  Hopefully they will recognize it for what it is. I replicated this before we left the compound in case I needed something more discreet than a tricorder.”

“Mallacht de ort,” he muttered under his breath. “You’re right but it’s a Bloody backward way of thinking.” He took the stethoscope and dropped it around his neck. “Best get to it.”

“It is what it is,” Aimee commented to O’Shea. “It’s stupid, but I’m not here to be a Susan B. Anthony even if the Prime Directive allowed it.”

Dougal glanced at Cezear and to O’Shea,  “Aye lad. Standing here like wee eejits dinnae get us answers.”

“Lets take a walk around the back, see if we can find another entrance. I agree standing around like this will only draw attention to us.” 

Dougal glanced around,  shrugged and fell into step with Cezear. “Och aye.”

With that he made his way up to the door, pausing just before knocking as he tried to see through the small window. Not seeing anything he rapped his knuckles on the door. After thirty seconds without anyone coming to the door, he knocked again and called out. “Hello, we are medical staff with the local government doing a survey of the neighborhood.” A moment later slow footsteps could be heard within and the door opened. Looking up at him was a young girl, no older than 5 or 6 he would have guessed.

“Are you doctors?” the little girl said. “I was told not to open the door but doctors help right?” 

O’Shea smiled and knelt down before the partially opened door, “Yes, that is what doctors do and we do want to help. Can you tell me, your name?”

“My name? I’m Jianbri.”

“It is nice to meet you Janbia, I’m James and this is Aimee,” he said nodding back towards the doctor. “Odd names I know but we are from a different city and here to help. Is someone here sick or needing help?”

At that tears welled up in her eyes and started to run down her cheek as she nodded. “Mamma and Dadda in bed sort of awake and their friend is sleeping I think but… but… bu,” she stammered as her concern overcame her.

“Hey, it’s ok, can we come in and take a look at them? Hopefully, we can help.” 

She nodded and the door opened all the way, “They are upstairs, I will show you.” With that she turned and ran back into the house and around a corner.

O’Shea glanced back at Aimee, “Let’s hope the treatment works. Kids always make it worse.”

“Me too,” Aimee said with a frown. “At some point I need to test the mass deployment option, but right here, right now I can do something… or at least try to.”

O’Shea nodded and gave her a troubled smile, “No time like the present.” With that he stepped inside and followed Jiandri. Moments later he found himself standing at the top of the stairs as the young girl looked towards a closed door at the end of a hall.

“Mama and Dadda are in there but I don’t like seeing them like this. Can you please help them?”

O’Shea looked back at Aimee and nodded, “You go check on them, I will see about the friend.”

Kneeling down before Jiandrim O’Shea spoke, “Where is our parent’s friend? Aimee will go look after your parents.”

She looked away for a moment then pointed towards the next door, “He is in there. I don’t like him though he is not very nice. People were trying to hurt him and Mamma and Dadda hid him here.

“What do you mean?”

“People said he was a stranger and tried to hurt him with sticks and stones. Dadda worked with him though at his job. He digs up stuff for the museum and Mamma helps him at home ” She stopped for a moment and glanced to the room, “I am not meant to tell people that Mamma helps Dadda with work.”

”I am sorry to hear that. Why don’t you stay here and I will go check on him ok?”

She nodded, “I will go play in my room.”

O’Shea glanced back at Aimee after Jiandri went into her room, “That isn’t good.”

“None of this is good James,” Aimee said in a soft tone. Aimee turned and slipped quietly into the bedroom pulling the door shut behind her.

O’Shea watched Aimee enter the room with Jiandri’s parents before he walked into the other and stopped, lying on the bed before him was Howard, the missing team leader from the observation team. Pulling out his tricorder he gave the unconscious form a quick scan. Tapping his combadge he opened a channel to his team, “We have found Howard, he is unconscious. We have been told people were looking for him and the family here hid him. Be aware there may be people looking for him. Keep your eyes open.

”Roger, we are taking a walk around the house and maybe the block so as not to draw attention. We will let you know if we see anything.”  Cezear said as they started to make their way down the street.

Aimee entered a moment later, a frown furrowed across her face, yet she remained silent.  After a quick examination she sighed and shook her head. “He’s too far gone.  As is the girl’s father. I think I can stabilize the mom but I need a sickbay.” 

“Damit,” O’Shea said as he looked back at Howard. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of anger towards him and the rest of the team for the lives they were ending sort due to this plague. With a focused exhale he calmed himself and looked back towards Aimee, “Ok, I understand. Let’s do what we can for the mother.” He looked back towards the hall and the room where Jiandri played unaware that her life had just fallen apart, “Will the systems at the observation post be sufficient? If not Mercy can beam down whatever you need.”

She shrugged, “I think I can do it back at the post, but she is bad off.”

“We best hurry then.” With a nod and tapped his combadge opening a channel to Cezear, Dougal and the wider team, “Howard is head. He was hiding with a family, the father is too far gone but we may be able to stabilize the mother. The child hasn’t shown any indication of being sick yet. We are taking them to the observation post, they may be able to shed some light on this.”

Without waiting for a response he switched to Dezear and Dougal, “Everything ok out there still?”

Ceazers shoulders slump at hearing the news about Howard, “Damn it.” Hearing the next part he looked toward Dougal and then took a couple of seconds to look up and down the streets. “All clear, right now. A few folks on the streets but nothing that looks out of the normal for the situation.”

“Bloody hell,” Dougal replied under his breath.

O’Shea responded, “Do you see anything we could use to transport them back to the outpost?” He stopped for a moment before continuing, “Would the lockdown allow local transport?”

“Aye,” Dougal said almost under his breath his eyes locked down the street.  Halfway down the block a black carriage of an opulent design withca pair of black horse like creatures.   They stood outside a residence, their heads hung low in boredom. Patting Cezear on the shoulder,  “Ye see what I see lad?”

“I do, kinda catches your eye though. Don’t you think? And do you know how to drive one those?” 

Dougal raised his eyebrow at Cezear,  “Laddie I may be a Scotsman,  but we no live like it’s the bloody 18th century. Ye do ken we have speeders, shuttles an’ transporters?” He gave the carriage a long look and gave Cezear a mischievous grin,  “Aye well, how hard cannae be?”

Cezear shrugged “only one way to find out.”