Day 2 - Alpha shift
Posted on Fri Aug 23rd, 2024 @ 1:11am by Commander Dean House & Commander Savar cha'Salik hei-Surak Talek-sen-deen & Commander Jenna Ramthorne & Lieutenant Commander Thriss Kla'ren & Lieutenant Commander Aurora Vali & 1st Lieutenant Freya Score & Ensign Aubrie Fox & Ensign Kitiuas Thenis & 2nd Lieutenant Connor McQueen & Commander Jennifer Baldric
Edited on on Sat Aug 24th, 2024 @ 7:27pm
Mission:
Lost in Space
Location: Borg Space
"The time is 0530 hours" the computer intoned, causing Commander Jennifer Baldric to startle and drop the empty glass on the floor. She'd fallen asleep on the couch late the night before, dreams of assimilated crew plaguing her mind as she slept. With a groan she rose and headed for the bathroom. A steaming hot shower a rapid cure for bad sleep.
Twenty minutes later Baldric strode onto the bridge, impeccable as always, the only thing amiss was the dark circles under her eyes. Ronson appeared with a container of coffee, handing it to her silently before offering some more to the rest of the bridge crew. He disappeared before re-emerging a few minutes later with a simple egg and bacon roll.
"You're too much like Captain Kaylen already. Look after yourself" he whispered as he handed her the plate, his intuition correct in that she hadn't eaten before coming to the bridge.
She blushed at the compliment come reprimand and nodded her thanks before beginning her work.
"All stations, status report."
From his XO position Savar waited to hear from all departments report their status. As he waited, he turned his head to look at Ronson. "Mr. Mitchell, could I trouble you for a glass of tea?"
"Of course Commander" Ronson nodded and headed for the small room adjacent to the Captain's Ready Room that contained the tools of his trade. The small desk sat along one wall, the other with a long bench containing the coffee machine, tea making supplied, and a space to make simple food. He boiled the water and added the tea-leaves, at the same time making another container of coffee to do the rounds of the bridge. Once brewed he poured the tea into the same anti-spill keep-warm travel cup he offered to everyone and made his way back out.
" Your tea Sir, and some Vulcan spiced biscuits just because" the Yeoman nodded and headed off again
Savar accepted the tea and the biscuits gratefully. "Thank you, Mr. Mitchell, I do appreciate this very much." He looked over to Baldric, "Would anyone like a biscuit? Commander Baldric? Aurora? Anyone?"
“I never say no to a biscuit” Aurora offered a smile from where she sat. “They do help to settle my stomach. Speaking of which could I trouble you for a ginger tea please Ronson?”
Ronson disappeared again, reappearing a few minutes later with a tray and various assorted drinks and eatings on it. He offered it to Aurora and worked his way around the bridge again.
Bonnie, one elbow on the console to prop her head up, stared deeply into the screen. "Computer systems nominal, nothing on long range sensors currently. I can't even get a read on our relative location in space without a star field." She sighed and returned to her calculations wishing she had a stimulant.
Ronson noted the tone and arrived a minute later with a question in his eyes. "coffee, tea?"
Perking up, Bonnie smiled "Bless your heart. Coffee please, extra cream." She liked her coffee as pale as her olive brown skin.
Connor stood in his usual corner with his rifle slung across his back, hands clasped behind him. He turned to the Commander and nodded, “Marines patrol all decks around the clock along with Security personal, regular check-ins and everything seems in order so far Commander.”
" Very good everyone, let's hope we can maintain this level until we get home" Commander Baldric smiled.
" Do you have an approximate location there Bonnie? Doesn't have to be accurate" she continued, glancing at the younger officer.
"The math would say we are approximately halfway home, still well in uncharted territory. Ma'am." She added.
Several hours later Commander Baldric shifted uncomfortably, the adrenaline long since worn off and her mind struggling to stay alert.
" Ma'am, the whales are slowing, must be dinnertime." Ops announced.
" You know the drill everyone. Yellow alert, ready the Buzzard collectors and scan for concentrated pockets of energy" Jennifer ordered, thankful for the interlude.
Laughing to herself as she heard Commander Baldric say buzzard instead of Bussard for at least the second time, Bonnie turned to her screen and began scanning. Two, odd blips appeared on her screen and then disappeared just as fast. Fluke perhaps?
A few moments later the blips appeared again, looking suspiciously like scouts. But for whom?
Aurora’s senses were picking up on their unwanted company as well. “I’m sensing them too, just briefly though.”
"Huh..Let me try narrowing the band on my sensors for those blips. I had to guess this, but I think we are being followed," Dean glanced down working on those sensor boosts.
"Maybe they are scouts. Maybe... um maybe they haven't detected US yet, but the Whale Pod. It is hard to miss." Bonnie offered as a way of distilling any fear within herself more than others.
Jenna offered up, "Perhaps we should play dead." If it were Borg, they would see the ship and realize she wasn't much of a threat. But if it were any other species, it would be playing with chance.
"We need to know who it...or they...are" Baldric replied looking at the whales on the viewscreen and trying to see past them to their mysterious followers.
"We all know who the two probabilities are. Shields up but stay at yellow alert. Inform our whale friends we are being followed"
Savar looked at blips, were they being followed or was the pod being followed? "Aurora." He addressed his wife, "Can you ascertain if the blips are following us or the pod?" He looked to Baldric, "Perhaps hunters after the whales." he proposed.
"Perhaps, but our proximity within Borg space and the propensity for 8472 dropping by here was documented by Voyager" Baldric replied, her eyes darting around the bridge as though she were expecting the Borg to materialise at any given moment.
Connor studied everyone on the bridge for a few moments before slowly moving his rifle from behind his back, his right hand holding it at the ready in front of him as he touched his throat mic. =/\= Lieutenant Score, be advised we may have hostiles approaching. The bridge is trying to track two unknown ships at this time. =/\=.
Aurora was trying her best to give an answer to Savar’s question. “I’m sorry but I can’t tell. With our crew and the whales, it’s hard to discern.” Her skin was crawling at the mere thought of Borg being anywhere around.
"It is alright Aurora. Do not stress over this." Savar answered in an understanding tone. "We will continue to monitor and observe and see what comes while maintaining our alert status." Savar replied with Vulcan coolness.
"I'm inclined to agree with Jen... Commander Ramthorne." Bonnie suggested in a hushed tone. "Maybe hiding and playing dead isn't a bad idea?"
Baldric was torn, to play dead meant powering down their weapons, shields and everything that gave them a fighting chance against whatever it was hunting them. Odds were the whales being organic usually got by without an issue. The Sunfire however would have pinged on the Borgs proverbial radar, and if it pinged there it pinged on 8472's as well.
Jennifer had never faced either foe before outside of holodeck simulations and tutorials. As she internally debated the issue a Borg Sphere decloacked on the Sunfire's port side, and other on their starboard.
"Too late." Dean checked the alert, "Two sphere's... decloaking. When the hell did the Borg get or start using cloaking technology."
Aurora let out an audible gasp as she sensed the Arrivals, so many minds even though they were linked in one consciousness set alarm bells ringing for her. She looked towards Savar, this was the nightmare no one wanted to happen.
Jenna's hands danced across her console, both inputting trajectory calculations in case they had to make a quick jump, and taking readings in case they had to fight. "If memory serves they won't attack unless they see us as a threat." A green beam lashed out from both ships and began scanning through the Sunfire. "We're being scanned."
Bonnie stared in horror as the beams made a sweeping motion across the bridge. Was this how her Mother experienced the Borg at Wolf 359? Would she now meet her end the same way? She didn't want to die yet, she determined as she began a computer encryption so the Borg wouldn't get anything vital.
“If memory serves the err...Borg, usually don’t let anyone escape their grasp.” Aurora knew she was stating the obvious. “They add all biological life and what technological gain they can get.” Her thoughts went to Sidak, right now she wished she was there protecting him. Her unborn baby would face whatever fate she met.
Connor powered his rifle and took off the safety, reaching to his throat touching his mic. =/\= Lieutenant Score, two Borg spheres on our 10 and 2 =/\= He watched the bridge crew as he sent his second communication =/\= This is Lobo, all Marines to battle stations, set rifles on modulating frequencies. =/\=
"Hold steady everyone, no sudden moves. Let them scan" Baldric's voice rang over the com-system, encouraging everyone to be non-threatening as possible. There was a glimmer of hope the Borg would find them too 'primitive' and of no value for the collective.
"We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Existence, as you know it, is over. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile." The metallic voice boomed through the bridge as the Spheres closed in.
"So much for non-threatening. All hands Battle stations!" Jennifer commanded and gripped the arm rests of her command chair. "Helm, evasive pattern Delta 4."
TBC
