Posts of The Month 2004:
December 2004:
Yaro # 93
– “Watchers”
By Darby O’Mally
ON
==Forested Mountain Region Near Dig Site, Yaro II==
=With above=
He watched
with much curiosity as the strange yet familiar others dug into the
ground.
He couldn't
possibly imagine what they were looking for, other than food of course.
He knew
that some of his fellow forest dwellers buried food, but he had never seen the
others that
looked like these do the same. The strangers kept appearing out of
seemingly
thin air
and he scratched his head, more because he had an itch than anything else, but
slightly
on account that he couldn't figure out where they were coming from.
One of the
tall others, and they were giants, kept walking just inside the clearing.
He was
carrying something in his paw that made occasional funny noises.
The other
would
pause and look at it then resume its repetitive pacing. These others
had different
colored fur as well,
let alone skin. There was one that had blue skin with red and black fur
that
seemed to be in charge. He thought of the chief of his band, who didn't
look any different
than the
rest of the group.
There was a
small noise behind him and he recognized the scent and form of one of his
group.
He was happy now, he could leave, as his relief had
arrived. It was Barkeater, a
senior
member of the group.
"Go
and tell the others what you've seen," said the older Barkeater.
"I will take your place
watching
the new comers."
"It
will take some time to get there," replied Treehugger.
He didn't like the idea of such
a long
journey. "Couldn't we just send a relay?"
"It
would attract too large a gathering," replied Barkeater
and Treehugger nodded at
the
elder's wisdom. "If you leave now you should arrive before the light
ends."
"As
you wish elder," replied Treehugger. He
took one last look at the tall strangers and
slipped
away into the depths of the forest. It would take him a while to skirt
around where
the
strangers were, but once he reached the tree tops the journey wouldn't take as
long.
He had to
reach the others before the light faded, for that's when the killers came out
of their
dens and
stalked his people.
==Several
Hours Later==
Treehugger
paused on the outskirts of the others' settlement. They were tall like
the strangers
and had
different colored fur, however their skin was generally a pale color. He
would never
understand
why they chose to live on the ground in such odd dwellings. They seemed
unafraid
of the
killers as well. He had made this journey may
times, being that he was young, his group
used him
to send messages to the others.
He entered
the settlement and walked directly down the widest clearing. Along the
way several of
the
others smiled as he passed and attempted to touch him. It was well known
among his group
that some
of the other groups had allowed their members to live among the others, but
none from
his group
had ever done so. As such he would not stop to let the others touch
him.
He rounded
a corner and his destination came into view. He ran through the mental
list of things
not
to do while in the presence of the others: Never scare one of
them. Be careful so as to not get
stepped
on. (He had been stepped on once and while the other that did so had seemed
upset and
concerned
for his welfare, he wasn't about to let it happen again.) Then there was
the most important
rule,
never do one's business inside the others dwellings. The others had
special rooms that they did
this in
and took great offense when a member of his or other groups did so when not
outside.
He walked
quickly now his four legs working to move him towards the opening in the
dwelling that
he always
entered by. It was on an upper level of the dwelling and a small set of
platforms had
been
added to the exterior to allow access to the opening. With bounding leaps
and strides
Treehugger
was up the platforms and into the dwelling. The other he was looking for sat,
as he
usually
did, behind a giant square tree stump. Treehuggers
entrance hadn't gone unnoticed and
the other
smiled as he saw him enter.
"Hello
there," said the other. To Treehugger it
was non-intelligible and he shook his head.
The other
paused and smiling pulled something out of a piece of square wood. The
other set
it down
upon the top of the square stump of wood and looked at Treehugger.
"Is that
better," asked the other. The strange object seemed to understand
what the other
was
saying for in a minute it emitted a series of familiar chirps. Treehugger had always
wondered
how they fit one of his kind into the small device, but none-the-less he could
understand
its chirps. It was a slightly different language than his own, but
understandable.
"Yes,"
chirped Treehugger. He waited for the object to
speak and in a moment it did,
but in
the other's language. The other's spoke a much
more guttural language than his own,
except
the females of their species, they had a much more pleasing guttural sounding
tone.
"What
brings you here my friend," said the other. He stood and grabbed
something from an
opening
in an oddly shaped stump that was against a wall. He offered it to Treehugger, and
Treehugger
noticed that it was a piece of dry fruit. He grabbed it and ate it
hungrily, not realizing
how
hungry he felt after his long trip.
"Thank
you," said Treehugger after he had finished the
snack. "The elders sent me."
"Are
the killers claiming more of your group," asked the other after Treehugger's chirps had
been
translated.
"No,
there are more others," replied Treehugger.
The other seemed surprised at this
statement
and sat back down motioning for Treehugger to lead
onto the square stump.
Treehugger
did so and waited for the other to speak.
"More
others," said the other, "where were they?"
"Mountains
near our settlement," replied Treehugger.
"They have funny fur as
well and
are digging."
"Funny
fur, digging," said the Other
questioningly. "You've never seen these
others
before?"
"No,"
replied Treehugger, "one of them has blue
skin." The other seemed taken
aback by
this and stood quickly. The move surprised Treehugger
and he leaped off of the
stump
with a chirp of surprise.
"I'm
sorry my friend," said the other, "thank you but I must meet with the
others and discuss this."
"I
understand," replied Treehugger. The
creatures were called others, because that is how they
always
referred to one another. He nodded as he finally understood their
name. "Before you leave,"
said Treehugger, "where can I sleep?"
"Here
of course," said the other as it headed for the exit to the room.
"Help your self to any
food that
you want."
"Thanks,"
said Treehugger. The other walked, on two legs,
quickly out of the room and
Treehugger
spotted his favorite place in the room. A
extremely soft stump that had a red colored
top furry
top. He lept onto the stump and was fast
asleep. He couldn't return to his group until the
light
returned.
OFF
Treehugger
As written by Darby
November 2004:
Post Yaro #90
BY – LT Porik Tullak
On
==Dig Site,
Mountain Range, Yaro II==
=One Hour After Above=
It was
taking them longer than he had expected. His team was just not familiar enough
with the
equipment to move any faster. Lynch was doing his best to help them,
but the
ship had no formal archaeological team, so they were all starting off at a
disadvantage. There had been a lot of false starts and immediate stops, but now
things
seemed to be moving along. They had exposed a large section of hull and
confirmed
what
Lynch had guessed. The dig had started by expanding the hole Lynch had already
dug and
had produced amazing results. The letters were indeed those of a Starfleet
vessel.
"Tullak to Swiftsure," he
said tapping his comm badge.
"Go
ahead Porik," came the
voice of the Captain.
"Captain
we've uncovered more of the hull and you're not going to believe this,"
said Porik.
"Its a starfleet vessel alright, Daedelus class. The registry number is NCC - 104."
"That
would confirm Lynch's theory about the ship being
there for over two hundred years," replied the Captain.
"There's
more sir," said Porik.
"Its the Swiftsure."
There was a long
pause before the Captain answered.
"Moira
tells me that the original Swiftsure was reported
lost over two
hundred years ago," said the Captain. "It would seem that she is no
longer
lost."
"Yes,
Captain," replied Porik. "We're working on
opening up the hull as we speak."
"Good,
Swiftsure out," replied the Captain. Porik tapped his comm badge shut
and moved
back
towards where the excavation was continuing. It was a more dedicated effort now
that they
knew what they were working with. It was merely a matter of finding exactly
what part
of the ship that they had exposed that would tell them where to dig next.
"I
think its part of the engineering hull," said Lynch after looking up from
a PADD that
contained
the schematics of the older design. "See these markings here and here.
The plating
overlay fits as well."
"So
where do we have to dig to find a hatch or docking port," asked Porik.
"If
I'm correct then about ten meters that way," said Lynch indicating a
direction with his hand.
"Let's
get to it," said Porik. His team came to life
and began moving
equipment around.
==Forty
Minutes later==
"We've
found something," cried one of his team members. Porik
walked over to where the
team was
now on its hands and knees in a large earthen hole. They were removing the final
layer of
dirt by hand and exposing what appeared to be another section of hull plating.
"Is it
the hatch," asked Porik.
"No
but it'll do," replied Tom from inside the hole. "I guess my initial
estimates were wrong
but we've
found a breech in the hull. It looks big enough to squeeze into."
"Can
we widen it without damaging the surrounding regions and causing a cave
in," asked Porik.
"I
think so sir," replied an Ensign from his team. Porik
waited patiently as the operation
continued.
After another five minutes had passed he saw Tom grab a respirator
and
disappear into the earthen hole. Porik followed him
and grabbed a respirator of his
own. He
walked over to the hole and climbed down into it. He managed to see
Tom's head disappearing through the freshly cut hole in the ship's hull. Porik got
down
on his
knees and inched over to the opening and lowered his head into it. The only
light
visible was from Tom's hand light.
"Its a mess down here," said Tom. "There's debris
everywhere."
"Can
you tell where you are," asked Porik.
"I'm
not familiar with the deck layouts of a 200 year old starship Porik," retorted Tom,
"but I think I'm standing on a bulkhead wall. The ship must
be on its side."
"I'll
join you," said Porik. He grabbed a hand light
and with some help from Tom below
lowered
himself down into the ancient ship. Tom had been right, there were pieces of
bulkhead
and
wiring everywhere. He moved his light around and found what appeared to be a
doorway
beneath
them.
"Stand
aside Tom," said Porik. He kneeled down and
began attempting to pry the door
open. It
budged a little, but the years and aging had taken its toll.
Tom joined
him and with some effort managed to pry it open. A stale hiss of
escaping
air could be heard along with the disruption of several layers of dust. Porik
shined
his light into the opening and jumped back.
"What
is it," asked Tom.
"Well,
we can now safely say that not everyone made it out," said Porik. Tom looked at
him funny
then leaned over to look for himself. The human skeleton
stared
back up at him, its bones scattered about the room.
"Its only an access closet," said Tom looking back up at
Porik. "He must've been
in there
when the ship crashed."
"We
should try to find the computer core," said Porik.
"Something
tells me its not here," said Tom.
"What
do you mean," asked Porik.
"Take
another look into the access closet again," said Tom. Porik
leaned in and shone
his light
around the room. The shock of seeing the skeleton had made him unable to view
the rest
of what was in the room. He scratched his head and sat up.
"There's
no equipment in there," said Porik.
"Everything has been stripped
out that
was usable."
"Exactly,"
replied Tom. "My question is, why didn't they
remove him?"
"Maybe
they were in a hurry," said Porik.
"Maybe
it wasn't the crew that removed all this stuff," said Tom.
"That's
nonsense," said Porik. "Let's look around a
bit more."
"How's
it going Lieutenant," said the booming voice of Commander Jat from the
opening
in the hull.
"We're
going to explore a little further," replied Lynch, "but it looks like
everything's
been
stripped. That and we found the remains of one of the crew."
"I'll
inform the Captain, keep up the search and try to locate a computer terminal,
see
if the
core is still intact," said the Commander.
"Aye
sir," replied Porik and Tom in unison. They
stood and shined their hand lights
down the
long corridor. It was pitch dark and their hand lights barely made a dent in
the blackness.
Tom took
the lead and Porik followed, both being careful to watch where they
stepped.
OFF
Lt. Porik Tullak
ACEO
USS Swiftsure
October 2004:
Shoreleave
#58 “Starting Anew”
BY – ENS Daniel
Nelson
ON
==Starbase 285,
Ensign Daniel Nelson exited the airlock of the USS Euphrates and stepped
aboard
the docking ring of Starbase 285. A recent graduate
of the academy, the new ensign had traveled almost two months from
Earth to
his first posting: The Ambassador Class USS Swiftsure.
Daniel wormed his way through the throng of people toward a Commpanel
on the
bulkhead.
"Computer," Nelson commanded. "Give the docking location of the Swiftsure."
"The
USS Swiftsure is docked at Docking Bay 12," the
base computer replied in
that all
too familiar voice. Nelson follows the friendly
pointing arrow on the Comm padd.
While walking he began to think about the last
time he
was here at this starbase. Before
Starfleet.
As he walked down the corridor his eyes keenly watched the individuals in the
crowds. Bajoran, Ferengi, Klingons…most probably
thieves, smugglers, con artist and profiteers.
"And I
was one of them," Nelson thought.
But when he was counted as one of their number there was a war brewing. War
always
brings people with questionable morals who leech
from everyone for a buck. Now that the war was won the same leeches are back,
this time
in sectors that are thinly guarded by the war depleted Federation. Nelson
hoped
that the security and Marines stationed in this sector know something about
good,
innovative law enforcement.
Daniel finally rounded a corner and saw through a view port the docked Swiftsure.
Even with
her running lights off there was a quiet beauty about the ship. A shuttle
towing
a very
large pallet made its way toward the Swiftsure's rear
docking bay. It was hard to see what
was on the pallets but to Nelson they looked like containers for quantum
torpedoes.
New teeth on an old dog? "Why not?" Nelson thought.
Daniel walked through the airlock
at the
dock numbered 12 and was met by a security petty officer who put down his PADD
on the
security desk and blocked his way.
"May I help you sir?" the petty
officer asked, sizing up the ensign like a piece of meat. Daniel
met his
gaze (no fear here, pal)and decided to test him. Nelson slowly, one by one dropped
his bags.
He could see from the corner of his eye the impatient look from the petty
officer and
hear an
occasional sigh. The petty officer went back to his PADD until Daniel placed
his last bag
on the
floor and clasped his hands in front of him.
"I am Ensign Daniel Nelson," Nelson replied, "I'm here to report
aboard the Swiftsure."
Daniel
nodded toward the security desk. The petty officer was looking at another PADD
that was
beside his own. The petty officer picked up Nelson's PADD and examined it as if
it
was cursed.
"Well, err..," the petty officer stammered. He then activated the
PADD and read Daniel's orders.
"Please report to the executive officer. You will find him on the
bridge". The petty officer
handed
the PADD to Nelson.
"Thank you petty officer," Nelson replied. "Carry on."
"Aye, sir." The petty officer responded and
went to retrieve his PADD… which was
now gone.
The petty officer frantically searched around the desk. He then looked
horrified
at Nelson
who was making a big show of picking up his bags and adjusting them.
"Something wrong?" Nelson asked.
"Sir, I could have sworn that I laid my PADD down on the desk, and then I
didn't
see you
put you PADD there, but I handed my PADD, I mean your PADD to you and
now mine
is …gone."
The petty officer, with his confused look, seemed to be trying to convince
himself
that what
he just said actually made sense.
Nelson reached behind his back, brought out the petty officer's PADD and
tossed it
on the desk. The petty officer gaped back and forth
from Nelson to the PADD.
"Trying to find a handle on the moment?" Nelson asked.
"But I never saw you move from that spot!"
Nelson showed the petty officer both his hands. "You got impatient and
therefore
you took
your eyes off my hands. Some of the elements that are in this sector would love
to
get on a
Starfleet vessel for a quick smash and grab; say like those quantum torpedoes
that I
think was being loaded aboard ship. All because you were not
paying attention. Hands,
feet,
flippers, these things can kill you. They conceal weapons and use them when
you're not looking. "
"I'm going to report to the XO now but you may work for me one day. I'll
give you some
good cop
advice. Fear is in the eyes and is a good thing to look for, but action is in
the
hands,
Mister, “ Nelson said as he walked away, "and fear never killed
anyone."
OFF
ENS. Nelson
Security Officer
USS Swiftsure
September 2004:
Shoreleave #42 “In trouble with the Po-Po”
By: LT. Tom
Lynch & PO2
On
==Sharky's Bar and Grill, Starbase
285==
=Slightly before Commander Jat's Post=
Tom was
seated at the bar eying a leggy blonde and sipping at a fresh
mug of
ale when he realized that the ale was not synthehol.
It hit him all of a sudden like a ton of bricks and his head felt woozy.
He
shrugged
his shoulders and continued drinking. Finishing off the mug of ale
he
decided to introduce himself to the fine young specimen of femaledom.
He'd tell her all about the things she was missing out on by not being with
him.
"Hi my
name's Tom," he said walking up to her. "I didn't get yours,
but Angel
comes to
mind."
"The
lady's spoken for," said a voice from the other side of the blonde.
"Maybe
she wants to talk to me," replied Tom to the yet unseen voice.
"Can't
she talk for herself?"
"I'm
giving you ten seconds to back off, you lush, before I toss you out of this
place,"
replied the voice. The owner of the voice got up from
the other side of the bar and Tom's jaw nearly dropped. The man had to be
six foot
six inches at the very least and was rippling with muscles.
His green trimmed Starfleet uniform was spotless and Tom knew he was in
for
nothing but trouble. Still there was this beautiful girl that
needed his attention.
"You'll
toss me out will you," replied Tom leaning his head back to look into
the muscle-bound
officer's face. "What if the lady wants to talk to
me? Its a free station."
"That's
it," said the tall officer. He grabbed Tom by the back of the
uniform and
launched
him towards the door. The throw almost put Tom out of
the bar, but he landed just shy of the door. The landing took the wind
out of him
and he
lay still for a moment, making sure that everything was still intact.
"No
fighting," yelled the bartender.
In a nearby
booth two enlisted personnel had been observing the goings on with
what
amounted to bemusement at first. They had recognized their fellow
Swiftsure Officer and had been waiting for a good
laugh. Instead they had seen
him sent
flying through the air. Neither of them found this funny and they
stood up. Blakesley walked over to where Tom
was beginning to pick himself up
off of
the floor and
"You
better apologize to him," said
"I
don't take orders from enlisted pukes," replied the larger
officer. "Especially yellow
uniformed
ones."
"That's
all fine and dandy," replied
an
officer is a violation of Starfleet policy, and secondly he out
ranks you by a grade. That's striking a superior officer which is a
higher infraction."
"I
didn't strike him," began the giant, "I... why am I explaining myself
to a pathetic,
rule
quoting, Petty Officer?"
During the
exchange Tom had used the distraction to sneak back to the bar and sit
down next
to the blonde. She had eyed him suspiciously, but he had given
her a disarming wink. When her large companion spotted him he completely
ignored
Tigert and Blakesley
and grabbed Tom by the back of his uniform.
"You
just don't get it, do you," said the man. "I guess I'm going to
have to educate you."
"Excuse
me," said
face him
all he got was a face full of
like it had just hit a bulkhead and the large officer merely stood there
looking at him for
a moment.
"That
was a mistake," said the officer rubbing his chin. He swung quickly
at
luckily
ducked, and the punch hit nothing but air.
swung back nailing the man several times in the abdomen, but nothing seemed
to affect
him. The next thing he knew he was flying through
the air and smashing into someone seated at another table. It was at that
point
that the
all out brawl began.
"I'm
calling Station Security," yelled the bartender as chairs
and bottles began to
fly
through the air.
"Excuse
me miss," said Tom to the blonde. He reached over the bar and
grabbed
a tall
scotch bottle. He flipped it over so that he was holding it by the
neck and turning lined up the giant officer's head in his sights. With a
big swing the
bottle
shattered against the back of the man's head and
he dropped like a stone. Tom was about to turn and start up a
conversation when the
Blonde
landed a hay-maker on his chin. The next thing
Tom knew he was waking up in a holding cell.
"How's
your head Lieutenant," said
large
black eye and holding his ribs. He didn't think anything was broken but it sure hurt like
hell.
"We
win," asked Tom.
"I
think it was an even draw," replied Blakesley
from next to
"What
hit me," asked Tom rubbing his jaw. It was throbbing and hurt every
time
he moved
it.
"Don't
know," said Blakesley.
"Me
either," said
to the
face by the knockout, liternally he
thought, blonde. It had only been after their arrest
by the Starbase security force, that
just didn't
have the heart to tell the Lieutenant that he had been knocked out by yet
another
female. The stories about him and Lt. O'Bannon on the ship were almost
legendary.
"How
long we been in here," asked Tom still trying to clear out the cobwebs.
"About
an hour," said Blakesley. "Drake's
going to have a field day with us," he
added to
"I
imagine your Captain will have a word as well," said a voice from outside
their cell.
They looked
up to see a security officer with Lieutenant Commander's pips on his
collar
standing on the other side of the force field.
"They
were just defending me from that big lummox," said Tom.
"Save
it for later," replied the Lieutenant Commander, "and I outrank you
Lieutenant.
Let's not forget that."
"Yes,
sir," replied the three in unison.
"I'm
calling your ship now to see what your skipper wants done with you,"
said the
Officer. "I'm hoping he leaves you to us." With that the man
turned and walked away.
"Let's
hope not," said Blakesley. "I don't
fancy myself finishing out my tour in a prison
camp
doing hard labor."
"Thanks,"
said Tom to the others.
"For
what," asked
"For...
you know...," replied Tom as he tried to find the right words.
"Don't
mention it sir," said Blakesley, "we
weren't about to let that big gorilla have
his way
with you."
"So I
guess we just have to wait," said
holding
cell before and he found that he didn't like it too much.
He found himself reliving his Starfleet career over and over again, and there
was only
one
conclusion, he didn't want it to end like this.
"Yup,
we wait," began Tom, "and pray that the Captain can pull some
strings."
OFF
A joint post by:
Lt. Tom
Lynch, ACSciO
&
PO2
August 2004:
Convoy #55 “Did
anyone get the…”
By – CDR Margaret
Hayes
On
==Main Engineering, USS Swiftsure==
=Before, During and After above=
Maggie was busy overseeing the start-up of the main engines and in
bringing the warp core back on line. Her staff was moving about and
beginning the routine when her comm panel chirped.
She sighed as she
hit the button to acknowledge the call. She knew who it was and what
he would want.
"Bridge to Engineering," said the voice of the Captain.
"Go ahead Captain," she said. There was an odd edge to his voice, one
that only someone who had spent time with him would know.
"Commander we're about to have company, and something tells me they
aren't friendly. Can you speed up the restart," he asked.
"Not unless you want burned out circuitry and fried components," She
replied. "I'll do my best to hurry things along though," she added
with a sigh. A hurried restart could mean lots of hours swapping out
damaged components. The engines required a gentle woman's touch to get
going again. Not the roughness the Captain was implying.
"Thanks, bridge out," said the Captain. She closed the comm channel and
looked at the screen. They could speed up the pre-heat of the
injectors, and increase the field density in the flow chambers. It
might shave a few minutes off of the total restart.
The red alert klaxons began going off and Maggie groaned. The
Engineering crews began rushing to their stations and she was pleased
that no one ran into one another in the sudden chaos. Porik
arrived
with Tom beside him. The two were still wearing their environmental
suits, sans helmets.
"What's going on," asked Porik as he walked
over and assumed his
station.
"Don't know," replied Maggie. "Tom shouldn't you be on the
bridge?"
"Engineering was on the way," replied Tom. "I'm going
Commander," he
added after the look Maggie shot in his direction.
Maggie turned to say something to Porik just as her
console exploded in
a shower of sparks. The lights went out and everything went silent.
She thought she had screamed in surprise and thrown her arms up
instinctively to protect her face. She heard Porik
moving nearby and
someone activated the emergency lighting.
"What happened," she said in somewhat of a daze. She didn't feel
right.
Her head felt foggy and moving was awkward. Her vision was funny as
everything seemed to be in a haze and blurry.
"Commander its okay," said a voice. She thought it was Porik's but it
sounded as though she was in a tunnel. "We'll get you to the floor."
She felt her self being moved to the floor but couldn't make out who it
was that was moving her.
"Am I hurt," she asked. Even her own voice sounded funny to her now.
It was like she was in two places at once. There but not really there.
"Maggie are you.... NO....," said a new
voice. It sounded like Matt's
but her hearing seemed to be getting worse. "Get a medical team here
now," yelled the same voice. "Hang on Maggie; we'll get you some
help." There were arms around her now, she was certain of that.
Someone had picked her up and was carrying her.
"What happened," she repeated. Everything felt funny now. Her arms
and
feet felt tingly, like they were going to sleep. She felt really tired
and tried to close her eyes several times. Every time though an
annoying voice would wake her up or shake her.
"Stay with me Maggie," said the voice. She fell asleep and the next
thing she knew she was under extremely bright lighting, and thought she
was lying on her back. It was soft, whatever she was lying on, and
she wanted to go to sleep again.
"Stay awake Commander Hayes," said a new
voice. "We'll get her
stabilized Captain."
"Do your best Harry," said the other voice. "Maggie I love
you,"
continued the voice. She felt something soft and warm touch her
forehead and then disappear. Her vision was very blurred now and she
was only seeing fuzzy outlines and dark shapes. She couldn't focus on
anything other than her need to sleep. If only the voices around her
would allow it.
OFF
CDR Maggie Hayes
CEO
USS Swiftsure
July 2004:
Convoy # 93
“Nerves”
BY – CDR Margaret
Hayes
On
==Bridge, USS Swiftsure==
=shortly before, during and after last post=
"Vanderian Shuttle approaching," said the
Ensign sitting in the Ops position.
"They're
requesting permission to land and disembark passengers."
"Open the Hangar Bay Doors," said Maggie sitting back down in her
seat. She had
paced for
the past ten minutes, waiting for the shuttle to return. They were overdue, and
while she
had expected them to be late, she wasn't ready for that to become a reality.
"Shuttle has landed," said the same ensign moments later. She had
placed the viewscreen
on its
aft setting and they had all watched as the small Vanderian
Shuttle had entered the
"Status of the away team," she said turning to the tactical station.
"Still on the planet," said the Ensign filling in for Lt. Brown. Lt.
Brown was comfortably seated
next to
Maggie and had, as of yet, to remove himself from it. "I'm tracking them
in a heavily
populated
area of the planet. They appear to be moving among several large
complexes."
"Very well," said Maggie. She sat back down and waited. The Captain
should be returning to the bridge
at any
second now. Her nerves were getting the better of her at the moment. She didn't
like having so
many of
the crew's senior staff away on an unknown mission. At least Matt, Harris and Amari were safely back.
The minutes ticked off the chronometer and still no Matt entering the bridge.
Why hadn't he returned
directly
to the bridge. She tried to think of several reasons why he hadn't and didn't
like any of the
ones that
came to mind.
"Computer, location of Captain Wayne," she said depressing a button
on the armrest of the Captain's chair.
"The Captain is currently in sickbay," replied the computer in its
lifeless, Vulcan like, way.
Upon hearing this Maggie's worst thoughts suddenly surfaced. She couldn't sit
there anymore and
wait. She
had to find out what had happened. She stood and turned to Lt. Brown.
"You have the bridge Mr. Brown," she said and without waiting for a
reply was already on her
way
towards the turbolift. She didn't notice the smirk
and grin Lt. Brown gave her as he stood and
then sat
down again in the center seat.
==Sickbay==
=several minutes later=
She tried not to run, tried very hard not to let her emotions run rampant as
she approached sickbay.
The doors
couldn't open fast enough for her and she nearly bumped her shoulders on them
as they opened.
She entered
sickbay and looked around. Across the room sat Matt with Harris
standing beside him. She walked over and tried to control the emotion in her
voice.
"What happened," she demanded.
"Looks like I owe you a drink," said Matt to Harris. "I'm fine
Maggie, just a little motion sick from the ride back."
"We all are," added Amari. Maggie hadn't
seen her sitting next to Matt on the biobed.
"Their inertial dampeners
aren't as
good as ours."
"Oh, is that all," said Maggie with a forced grin and chuckle.
"How'd it go?"
"About as good as we expected," said Matt. "The Vanderian Deputy Undersecretary basically gave us the
brush
off, after making us wait for a while. What's the status of the other away
team?"
"They haven't returned yet," she said. "Our sensors show them
moving through a large residential area."
"The entire planet is one densely packed residential area," said
Harris. "I've never seen anything like it."
"Their buildings are thousands of feet tall, and built right atop one
another," said Matt, "There were
structures
as far as the eye could see. That and more atmospheric craft
than I think in all of Starfleet."
"The entire planet must be one giant city," said Amari with a frown. "No open spaces or anything
as far as
we could tell."
"You're all set sir," said Harris as he pushed a hypo into the
Captain's arm.
"Thanks," said Matt as he hopped off of the biobed.
"Shall we," he added to Maggie and indicating
the door.
"Definitely. With everyone gone, Lt. Brown is in
charge," she added as they began to walk towards the door.
Her insides
were screaming for her to grab Matt and show him exactly how much she had been
worried
about
him. Sickbay was not the place though. She'd wait until they reached the turbolift, then attack him.
OFF
CDR Maggie Hayes
CEO
USS Swiftsure
June 2004:
Shoreleave
#76 “Baptism”
BY – PO3
==
=Shortly Before and During previous two posts=
Tigert returned to watching the falls after Lt. Villant had crept away from him. His nerves were on edge,
it was
his first combat assignment since training and he hoped that he would find
himself up to the task.
The teams
crept back to where he was posted and a nearby guard whispered to him.
Blakesley: Doing okay Tigert?
Tigert: Blakesley that you?
Blakesley: Yeah, get ready we're going to start
firing at the base of the falls.
Tigert: Right.
He brought up his phaser rifle and took rough aim to
where he thought the intended target was.
He couldn't
see all that well in the dark and was wondering how they would pick out their
targets in
the
darkness. Off to his left there was a sudden yell and all hades
broke loose around him. The
darkness was illuminated by the sudden firing of several phaser
blasts and as they struck their targets
blindly,
it let Tigert see where to aim. He took a deep breath
and let it out slowly, as he had been trained,
and
squeezed the trigger.
His phaser came to life and a brilliant blue beam
shot out from the barrel. He watched as it struck what
appeared
to be a rock, and then watched as the rock began to glow red hot from the
energy it
had
absorbed from the phaser. A hissing noise and a pop emanated from his
left and suddenly
night was
like day. The flare arced slowly over the falls and he could suddenly see
movement.
He began firing again, more rapidly this time, the targets far away and hard to
see. There was
suddenly
return shots flying over his head and landing around him. Their red beams
distinguishing
themselves
from his own blue colored phaser blasts. From the
sounds of it, the Ferengi's phasers
were set
to maximum power. They began to get the range and location and soon their shots
were much more
accurate.
A sudden yelp and scream came from his right, but his blood was pounding so
fast through
his veins
that he barely noticed.
Then another set of phaser fire appeared in the
target zone, and he watched as another group
of the
ship's security guards attacked the Ferengi from their
own side of the river. The battle was
brief,
but he watched in horror as a guard was hit square in the chest and collapsed.
His comrades seemed
to ignore him and Tigert's mind screamed that someone
should help this fallen officer. More of the
starfleet officers were down now, as well as most of the Ferengi, and then as quickly as it had started it was over.
The light from the flares was beginning to die away and those standing around
him were silouted
shadows
against the forested backdrop. The Andorian officer
returned and as he walked along the
line kept
repeating the following:
Villant: Get ready to beam over to their location.
With that he was gone. Tigert heard several
affirmatives in response and moved over to where
Sanchez had
been crouched before the firing started.
Tigert: *jokingly* Hey Sanchez, you hit anything? *no answer* Sanchez? *Sees the crumpled from
of
Sanchez on the ground* Sanchez?!?
He kneeled down next to the fellow guard and rolled him over onto his back. He
inhaled sharply as
he saw
that the man's face was missing. All that was left was an empty and smoldering
hole, an apparent
lucky
shot from one of the Ferengi. His stomach suddenly
rebelled at the gore and he retched into
the nearby bushes. He had never seen death before, not like this at least. The
young crewman had been so
full of
life not minutes before and now he was dead.
Blakesley: *walks over to where Tigert
is crouching* Hey Tigert you okay?
Tigert: *weakly* Yeah.
Blakesley: What's the matt...*sees Sanchez's corpse*
Oh good god! Come on Tigert, nothing you can
do for
him, we're gathering up to beam over. *starts to walk off and notices that Tigert isn't moving*
Tigert
move out! That's an order.
Tigert: *snapping out of the fog clouding his mind*
SIR!
Training took over, the requirement that had been beaten into their brains in
training. Follow orders. His
mind
tried to block out the image of the dead Sanchez's body as he stepped along
behind Blakesley.
~Focus on
what's going on now, forget the past and concentrate on the present~ They reached a
spot where the rest of the party had gathered.
Villant: +tap+ Villant to Swiftsure,
beam us to Lt. Brown's side.
Swiftsure: Acknowledged Lieutenant, stand-by.
As the transporter beam began to take hold of him, he kept seeing the empty
hole that had been
Sanchez's face. His first combat was not what he had expected, and it looked like there
would be more of it to come.
OFF
PO3
Security Guard
USS Swiftsure
May 2004:
Shoreleave #12 “Villant
P.I.”
BY – LT Anarax Villant
On
==Holosuite 3, Deck 3, USS Swiftsure==
He sat behind the desk, a half empty bottle of whiskey and a shot glass in
front of him.
His
forty-five sat nestled in its holster on the desk next to the whiskey. It had
been a slow day and he
had sent
his secretary home early. Business had been good recently but now the profits
were starting to
dry up. There was a knock at the door and he saw the outline of someone
standing on the other side of it.
“Door’s open,” he said looking up.
A leggy redhead in a knockout blue dress walked into the office. There was a
fearful look on her face.
Her dress
accentuated all of the positives of her slim figure and he couldn’t help but
stare as she entered.
She closed
the door behind her and approached the desk.
“What can I do for ya sweetheart,” he said pushing
his hat back on his head.
“Mr. Villant,” she began, her voice trembling as the
Scottish lilt blurred her words. “I’m in a lo’ o’ trouble
I thin’.”
“Sit down and
tell me about it,” he replied. He poured himself a shot of the whiskey and
drank it down.
It burned,
but it let him know that he was still alive. She frowned at this and made for
the chair.
“Som’ men are after me Mr. Villant,
I need protection,” she said. She made to sit down but noticed the
layer of
dust covering the chair and thought otherwise.
“Sorry, the maid doesn’t come in until Wednesday,” he replied with heavy
sarcasm. “Protection, huh,
that
sounds more like a job for the police.”
“I canna go ta the police
Mr. Villant,” she said eyeing the door. “There are
many reasons why. I canna
go into
detail jus noow. I need your help.”
“You worried someone might kidnap you, or do you just like my door,” Anarax said leaning back
further
in his chair.
“Ya humor is nae verry funny Mr. Villant. I canna see tha’ coming here was a
mistake,” she replied and
started
towards the door.
Before she reached it however it opened and a man wearing a blue with white pin
stripe suit entered.
He had
mafia written all over him. The dame let out a scream and backed away from the
door. The suit
entered;
his 45 in hand. He looked around the room and rested his eyes on Anarax.
“Keep your hands where I can see them Villant,”
snarled the suit. His 45 auto was pointing directly at
Anarax chest. “Alright missy you’re coming with
me.”
“No,” she replied with a panicked look, “I’m nae
going anywhere with you.”
“Alright let’s take it easy here before someone ends up with lead poisoning,”
said Anarax. “Just
lower the
rod and let’s chat awhile.”
“Ain’t no chattin needed,”
replied the suit. “She’s comin with me.”
He reached over and grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. Things happened
quickly
after
that, she grabbed his gun arm and slammed her foot down on his foot, while at
the same time
bringing
her elbow hard into his midsection. The suit dropped the gun and howled in
pain. She finished by
hip tossing the suit halfway across the room. He landed hard, shattering a
chair. He lay in a heap and let
out a low
moan.
Anarax was out of his chair quickly and standing over
the crumpled form of the suit. Tom was
holding
his ribs and breathing hard. Moira rushed over and kneeled down next to him.
Her face
was a
mask of shock and remorse.
“Och, Tom I’m soo sorry,”
she said removing his fedora. His face was a mask of pain and he tried
to smile
weakly. “It was just instinctive, training….,” her voice trailed off as he
looked up at her.
“That….wasn’t in the script,” he replied through gritted teeth. “That’s twice
you’ve done this
to me
now.” She placed her hand on his head and tried to comfort him.
“Villant to transporter room,” said Anarax tapping his communicator.
“Go ahead Lieutenant,” came the reply.
“I need an emergency medical transport to sickbay, three persons from this
location.”
“Aye, sir,” came the reply. As the transporter beam grabbed them he heard Moira
apologize
for what seemed like the tenth time.
OFF
Lt. Anarax Villant
CSecurityO
USS Swiftsure
April 2004:
Moldak
#42 “Harry’s Dream”
BY – LT Harris
Leeds, MD
On:
==Sickbay,
USS Swiftsure==
=During and
After the Party=
Harris had
meandered back to sickbay after leaving the party. It was quiet and
unexciting,
no
patients to treat or staff issues to handle. In fact the staff was at
a bare bones level,
most
being at the party still. He was reading over several PADDs
on his desk. There was nothing
of interest
there, just routine medical reports submitted by his staff for him to approve
and sign off on.
He got up
with a sigh and left sickbay, headed for his quarters. As he walked he
couldn't help but
realize
how tired he felt. His shoulder ached and he massaged it with his other
hand. He entered
his room
and decided on a spot of tea before settling in for the evening.
"Computer,
Tea Hot," he said standing in front of the replicator.
"Please
specify variety," came the monotonic female voice
of the computer.
"Oh,"
Harris said scratching his head, "just surprise me."
"I'm
sorry that variety is currently unavailable, please restate request," was
the computer's reply.
"Oh
bloody 'ell. Stupid thing, guess I didn't really want tea after all,"
Harris said to no one in particular.
"Computer cancel request."
He walked
over to his bed and got in. He felt exhausted and within minutes he was
sound asleep.
At first he
slept soundly, but then the nightmare came.
He was back
aboard the Repulse, in sickbay. All around him there was utter chaos and
gore. The ship
shuttered
as it took another hit. Harris looked around in a daze, there were
casualties everywhere.
The lights
flickered as yet another hit shook the vessel. The auxilary
lights came on, main power was out.
A human
crewmember walked up to Harris holding a bloody stump of what used to be his
forearm.
Another
Vulcan crewmember stared at Harris in confusion, part of their skull
missing. They were all
looking
at him, expectantly. They wanted him to make them well. Harris looked about
desperately for
something
to help them with but could find nothing. Another explosion rocked the ship and
his vision
blacked
out.
Suddenly he
was in a corridor being pushed along from behind. The ship was on
emergency power
now, as
only very dim lights illuminated the corridor. He heard the
Captain's voice saying over and
over
again "Abandon Ship". He was being pushed into an escape pod,
he hesitated then crawled in.
He watched
in horror as the person pushing him was nearly severed in half by an explosion.
His vision
went
dark.
He was in
the escape pod. In the distance he could see the Repulse being ripped
apart in her
final
death throes. The explosion sent shockwaves though the pod. He watched
helplessly as a
Cardassian
warship closed on his pod and he closed his eyes and waited for the searing
heat of
death to
claim him.
There was a
shove from behind now, opening his eyes he realized that he was on his knees
and his
hands
were shackled behind his back. He was alive. In front of him stood a
menacing looking
Cardassian. A disrupter was pointed
directly at Harris's chest. He waited for the painful blast but the
Cardassian
merely smiled and leaned in close to Harris's face.
"For
you my friend the war is over," said the Cardassian
and began laughing. The laughing continued
and was
picked up from behind.
The next
thing Harris knew he was awake in his quarters aboard the Swiftsure,
drenched in sweat
and
clutching his bedsheets.
OFF
Lt. Harris
Leeds, MD
CMO
USS Swiftsure
March 2004:
Moldak #2
BY – LT (JG)
Tom Lynch
On
==Jeb's Tavern, Resort area==
=Starbase 285=
"ARE
YOU KIDDING ME???!!!" came a yell of obvious disgust. The heads of
several patrons at Jeb's
swiveled
in unison to find the source. A small group in the back of the
bar could be seen getting up and
heading
towards the door. The voice of the yeller was quieter but still audible
as they exited.
"We
just got here, I haven't even unpacked yet," said Tom.
"Well,"
replied Maggie with a smirk. "It shouldn't take you too long to
get back aboard then, should it?"
"How's
that phrase go," added Harris. "Ah yes... 'Tis not ours to ask why but to do or die."
Laughs and
pats Tom
on the back. "We are purely at the whim of Starfleet and the Captain
my friend."
"Doesn't
mean I have to like it," came the reply from a
still upset Tom.
As the
group left Jeb's they headed back to their respective
rooms to gather up their things and
beam back
to the ship. Tom and Harris were sharing a room so they headed in
the same direction.
"It
must be something important," said Tom. "They wouldn't cut our
leave short for some sort of
Bee Ess would they?"
"Won't
know until we get back now will we," replied Harris.
"You
will, I won't," Tom added shaking his head. "P'Moll
doesn't share information too freely. I'm
always
hearing things second and third hand."
The arrived
at their room and entered. Their luggage was still exactly where the
porter had left it.
Tom grabbed
his duffel and opening it tossed in a menu from Jeb's.
When Harris looked at him
funnily
he mumbled "proof we were here" and went back to securing his
duffel.
"Ready Tom?"
"No,
but go ahead."
Harris
tapped his comm badge.
"Lieutenant
Leeds and Lynch ready to beam up."
"Stand-by
Lieutenant," came to reply. "That seems to be a
popular request at the moment.
Okay,
energizing."
The two
dissolved in the transporter beams golden shimmer only to reappear in
aboard the
Swiftsure in Transporter Room Two. They nodded to the
transporter chief and headed to their
quarters.
The
transporter chief touched his comm panel and opened a
channel with the bridge.
"Commander
Jat, the last of the crew just beamed aboard."
"Very well,"
came the cold reply.
Jat
closed the channel and stood up from the Captain's chair. He walked over
to where Lieutenant
O'Bannon
sat at the
"Set
course for the Moldak System, warp Five."
"Moldak System," came the
Scottish blur of O'Bannon. "Aye, sir."
The view on
the main screen shifted as the Ambassador Class vessel
broke orbit and went into
warp.
Jat walked slowly back to the center chair and sat
down. Pressing an armrest button he
opened a
channel to the Captain's ready room.
"Captain,
all crew aboard and we are underway."
"Excellent
EX OH, remind the senior staff of our briefing," pauses to look at
his chronograph,
"in one hour and five minutes. Captain out."
"Yes
sir," said Jat as he closed the channel and
resumed his icy stare towards the
view
screen.
OFF
Lt. (Jg) Tom Lynch
Asst. Chief
Science Officer
USS Swiftsure