| SUBMITTED:
Stardate 96572.5
| | FILED BY:
CMDR Gov Hlolsh
| | SECURITY:
Level 1 - Open
| |
LOCATION: Poltofor II, Poltofor System, Doza Sector
MISSION: Rescue operations
OUTCOME: 30 workers treated for injuries, infections, and conditions inflicted by appalling work conditons at the dig site. Another 70+ still require treatment. Hostile force attacking the site stopped; CMDR O'Dara treated for severe phaser burns to the chest. Surface excavation operation stopped with the arrest of the excavation leader.
KEY PERSONNEL:
CAPT Alistair Nimitz
CAPT Samuel Bishop
CMDR J'Atho'Anor Sarn're T'nar
CMDR Hannah O'Dara
CMDR Gov Hlolsh
Lieutenant Aev
NARRATIVE: This officer was in the process of touring the
Pegasus' medical facilities while the
Shackleton was preparing for its refit when the rescue order came in. Due to my combat medical experience during the Klingon War, I volunteered to join the initial away team to provide medical assistance and triage to any wounded at the site.
The attack appears to have been in a lull at our arrival, although the evidence of battle was everywhere. Several workers were dead, placed in body-bags for, but we also found a number of people with minor injuries - minor fractures, cuts, scrapes - of those lucky enough to escape the fighting. It appears that whatever weapons were used were not intended to stun or disable but kill; although this officer would note that none of the victims had anything approaching basic protective gear. This officer called down a medical team from the
Pegasus to assist in treating the wounded.
A number of explosions from what appears to be an excavated city drew our attention. My immediate duties completed, I joined CAPT Bishop and LT Aev of the Romulan Republic in observing these blasts. After the third blast, CAPT Bishop, who I gather is an archaeologist of some note, finally lost patience and, after conferring with CAPT Nimitz, took LT Aev and myself to the dig site to stop the explosions. Arrival at the site itself found several ancient buildings with missing floors - results of previous blasts I would infer. A fourth blast occurred at that point, kicking up an immense amount of dust. Concerned about inhalation of stone dust and who-knows-what compounds being released into the air, I donned a breather mask and provided breathers to LT Aev and CAPT Bishop, although the latter had already descended to the work site by accelerated methods before I could give him his breather.
What we found at the dig site could politely be called barbaric. Workers lacking even basic protective gear were digging away rubble and installing fresh explosives. The only person in the detail who wore any kind of protective gear was their supervisor, clad in proper protective garments and sporting a breather mask - implying the excavation management knew the dangers of inhalation of the various dust particles ahead of time and yet still chose not to protect their people. It should be noted that I saw no evidence of competent or even halfway-competent medical personnel assigned to the dig prior to our arrival. Scans of the workers found every one of them suffering from breathing ailments consistent with near-constant exposure to the dust-filled environment; 17 of the 30 workers found had early stage lung cancers, while another 8 had mid stage cancers. Many of the workers had poorly-set and thus poorly healed fractures, as well as infections both surface and internal obtained from nontreated cuts and scrapes with the surrounding stone. The supervisor showed zero concern for the workers' well being, and even threatened them in my hearing with restricted pay if they stopped work so that we could treat their worsening conditions.
[Computer Edit: multiple derogatory statements concerning supervisor's heritage, intelligence, morality, and genetics removed in second draft of this report by author's request] In an effort to stall the excavation and to get these workers the treatment they desperately needed, CAPT Bishop offered to subsidize the workers for any lost pay. Only then did the supervisor allow us to beam the workers to the
Pegasus for medical treatment; I went with the workers to assist in their treatment.
Partway through treating the workers of their many ailments; we received an emergency beamup of CMDR O'Dara, who had suffered third degree phaser burns to the chest and one arm. I triaged her for immediate surgery, paging for a trauma team while working to stabilize the Commander's condition. It was a close thing - the phaser used on the Commander was
nasty, with damage extending into soft tissues close to the heart - but we were able to stabilize her for surgery. Dr. sh'Shriavoth joined me in surgery and after a time took over surgical operations, allowing me to return to complete treatment and - at CAPT Bishop's request - to inquire further about the workers' conditions, especially with regards to their pay.
Once threatment and surgeries were complete, I was able to learn from some of the workers their compensation package: 1/2 bar of Gold Pressed Latinum per day, with no attendant benefits or health coverage. I reported this to CAPT Bishop, while updating CAPT Nimitz on the condition of his tactical officer. CAPT Bishop then informed me that he and CAPT Nimitz were shutting down the operation, and that all workers were being paid 2 bricks of GPL by CAPT Nimitz personally to break their contracts. I relayed this news to the workers themselves, who greeted it with greater enthusiasm than they greeted their treatments.
RECOMMENDATION: CMDR O'Dara's condition is stable, and while further surgery is required, I am confident she will make a full recovery. Commendations to Doctor sh'Shriavoth for her expert surgical skills.
Commendations also to the medical staff of the
Pegasus, who took the challenge of the mass treatment like champs. It was a privilege to work with such a well-organized and professional staff. The workers themselves will require further observation against recurrence of cancers and infections, and another 70+ workers will also require treatment.
I strongly recommend charges of criminal negligence be brought against the entire supervisory staff of this so-called "archaeological expedition." The shortcuts taken with workers' lives to save money was nothing less than cold, premeditated, murder by neglect on their part, and not one of the supervisors deserves to be trusted with a dead tribble, much less a workforce.
OOC: Gov Hlolsh's medical and very Tellarite POV of the events of "Schlimmin' It"; thanks again to Valore for running the event; t'was great fun! As always, if there are errors or omissions, please contact me and I'll make the appropriate corrections.
