Those Above Continued

Posted on Wed Mar 19th, 2025 @ 11:25am by Commander Jenna Ramthorne & Commander Savar cha'Salik hei-Surak Talek-sen-deen & Lieutenant Commander Aurora Vali & Commander Jennifer Baldric
Edited on on Wed Mar 19th, 2025 @ 11:46am

Mission: Ramant
Location: Ramant Ship
Timeline: Current

~SNIP~
Several minutes later she emerged near the cargo and hanger bays, only to encounter a number of Ramant waiting for them.
~SNIP~

The ship was down. The hangar doors were opening to facilitate the transport of cargo and supplies to and from the ship. There was one difference. In anticipation of the breakout the Ramant personnel had regrouped and were forming a breaching line at the doors. Their orders were to contain and only shoot if necessary. There were viable pregnancies in the mix, children of Ramant, the most valuable of resources. To risk the loss at this stage would be, regrettable.

Baldric skidded to a halt. Her balance off by the rounding of her expanding belly. There were many Ramant, and many weapons but the Sunfire's CO had a hankering they wouldn't shoot to kill. No the rounded bellies in the Sunfire's crew were too important to them.

"Lower your weapons!" She said with authority.

Savar had come up alongside her, he had moved Aurora behind him, handing her their infant daughter and to shield them both from any possible harm. "You would be advised to do as you are told." He added as his eyes scanned for a computer terminal.

Slowly, they were joined by even more of the Sunfire crew. Some able bodied, others weak and on the verge of giving birth. All of them had a fire in their eyes that said they would rather fight than stay and succumb to their situation.

The weaponized guards, mostly young male orderlies who were told to stand their ground, raised their weapons and took aim. But clearly their hands wavered to the point of shaking. They had never killed before and it showed.

From the control room on the left, walking tall in between the armed group and the Sunfire crew, the Lead Science Officer walked across the bay to the center and stood firm, facing down Baldric, feet apart. "We cannot allow you to leave, you must know this. You are much too valuable to allow this sort of, freedom."

"And you must know, this is wrong morally and ethically. You have kidnapped a starship crew to use as surrogate mothers and breeders for your race. This is not the way to get assistance for your dilemma." Savar replied pointedly.

"You must know that the young within your females are the last remnants of hope for the survival of our species. Our actions are authorised by the Progenitor and the Chief Scientist." The Ramant replied firmly. "We do not wish to hurt you, but we must protect our future. Your females will be well looked after"

"I don't call this being well looked after" Baldric retorted hotly, pointing to her belly. "If you'd asked for help we would have offered it freely"

There was a pause and a rumble of murmurs that rippled around the Ramant, discord almost. These people weren't savages, weren't primitive and still offered to help their problem.

"You have acted without conscience along with a complete and total lack of regard to the rights you have kidnapped to serve your own needs. Commander Baldric is right, I do not believe the term well looked after means what you think it means. Your lack of compassion and concern is most disturbing." Savar replied firmly.

"Which just goes to prove your limited way of thinking. You say 'without conscience' to which I retort we are completely conscientious of our actions and the reasoning behind them. You claim a lack of regard for your rights, while I contend we've treated you with every care and luxury we are able to offer. None have perished and none will, if you do not fight. Surrender and return to your cells, for the benefit of all." Her voice remained monotone, disconnected, apathetic even.

Savar shook his head, "it is you who are limited in your thinking, You say you are conscientious. I disagree and say again you are without conscience as you are blind to the harm you have done. You say treat us with care and luxury. Being locked in a cell, wearing hospital garb is not treated well or luxurious. You treat and see us as lab animals. You are at most oppressors. You justify your actions while disregarding the harm and utter wrongness you have done."

Baldric raised the metal bar she had procured on the way to the bay. Words could go on for hours with little progress being made by either side. It was a genuine stalemate and with the environmental systems offline the Ramant were without their fix-all neurological gas.

The CSO sensing a shift in the argument and low on options, flicked her finger in the air to signal her forces to target their weapons. To which they did.

The Ramant weapons were raised in response to Baldric and her own meager weapon, fingers on triggers.

"Shoot us, and your unborn children are at risk." She threatened.

It was at that moment, a ripple in what seemed like space itself opened to reveal a person sized portal, and several figures stepped out.

Three sets of boots landed with a thud that echoed throughout the massive shuttle / cargo bay. Rhenora, followed closely by Remal and then Bonnie stepped from nothing into the space behind the Ramant armed soldiers. It wasn't much in the way of reinforcements but it was all that they had for now. At least until the plan played out.

The CSO turned at the sound, as did several of the orderlies with weapons. They were now overwhelmed and surrounded yet somehow still holding on to the upper hand. "And just who allowed you to use a tele-portal?" She questioned.

"It appears some of your own people have regained their conscience." Rhenora said simply, aware that the weapons were now trained on her. "A growing number in fact have decided that there is indeed another way to solve your population problems"

A few moments later every screen and speaker erupted into life.

At first the image on the screens and among the various 3D display units focused on a Ramant male, his face obscured, but his chest clearly visible. It was his voice which resonated the loudest and clearest as it overrode all other noise until he shifted the image. "Peoples of Ramant, we have been deceived. All of our lives we have been led to believe there was no possible way to save our race. Despite our vast intelligence and in our infinite wisdom, we were wrong."

He took a breath, looked off screen as though waiting for something, which was the Intern to be ready for her part, before continuing. "Over a millennia ago we embraced our science based society, our lack of emotion in favor of logic. Somewhere along the way we lost that spark which creates life, leaving it in the hands of the bureaucrats. We lost the ability to birth our own offspring."

The CSO, seeing the video and recognizing the voice was showing signs of panic. She grabbed the nearest Orderly by the collar and aggressively whispered, "Find them and stop this broadcast before they reveal their lies." He nodded, fear evident in his response as he attempted to make communication with the rest of the security team.

"But no more! There is a cure! There is a way and we have proof!" The Ramant Tech pronounced before looking off screen at the Intern and then back. The camera then shifted to show the timid Intern, her belly on display, along side what appeared to be an advanced ultrasound with 3D imaging clearly showing the baby growing within. "Conceived naturally only hours earlier, growing naturally. We... are with child." He pronounced.

"It is true, and we will share with all of you the success of our experimentation. No longer will we be bound to harvesting from other races. Our race will survive. Rejoice!" The Intern showed the most interesting expression, excitement.

The Sunfire crew dared not even breathe at this revelation, the Ramant crew however murmured again amongst themselves as though conferring if such were actually possible. "It is possible! We are saved!" A cheer erupted a few moments later, bringing and end to the rule of fear and domination.

The CSO stammered as though trying to order her now errant thoughts. "This is a wonderful sign for the highly secret experiments we had been conducting for some time" she stuttered, trying to regain control of the situation and still appear to be the victor. "There is much yet to study from this one pregnancy. Will it come to term? Conception was but the first hurdle. We have to harvest all these unborn younglings in case this experiment fails"

Rhenora stepped forward again, this time nose to nose with the CSO, or as close as her nose could get with her short height. "You knew nothing about this, allow my crew to leave, we will give you the children we are carrying and you can still come out of this the victor" she said quietly but forcefully.

Savar listened in silence to what Rhenora said even as he protectively stood in front od Aurora to shield her. Could it be their time as captives was over and they would be allowed to leave?

The CSO was trapped, outnumbered and out maneuvered. Her eyes darted around for any sign of support or exit. Everything had been going so well she had to question where it went wrong. Of course she knew. The moment that Tech had witnessed the footage, had involved that intern. Tha was when she lost her edge, and likely her chance at a child of her own.

And this woman, the subject of the experiment. She was different, bold, strong, despite the amount of physical pounding she had received only hours earlier. The CSO smiled, her eye twitching slightly, and backed away from Rhenora's personal space. "You..."

But she wasn't able to finish as The Tech, followed by the Intern, then the Doctor and the Orderly, who had betrayed her, stepped from a tele-portal into the bay. "You!" She said, voice raised. "You!" Her eye twitched some more.

Obliviousness surrounded the four Ramant, as did many others in the bay who now had a new view on their morals. Her voice, split the din, turning heads. Then, in quick succession, she wretched a disruptor out of a nearby Security personnel's hand, took aim at the Intern and fired.

The Tech, seeing the shuffle, threw the Intern to the side using his own body to shield the young girl from the shot, which hit him square in the back. Another breath later, and the CSO was brought to the deck by the security force, stopping her from killing again.

The Intern screamed and dropped to her knees as the Tech fell, fumbling to see what she could do to save his life. "Transport him to medical bay 1, NOW" she ordered before racing out the door.

Rhenora stood before the CSO again. "How many more will you kill to maintain order?" She asked without hesitation, challenging the authority of those that held them. "Your people have seen there is another way."

"Only a fool or someone insane continues to follow the same actions hoping for a different result. Yield, your way is over, your people now know there is a different, viable option for their survival." Savar noted.

"Our way of life will never be the same" the CSO protested, "there will be riots, and rivers of emotion that the people know nothing about. Chaos will ensue"

"And yet that is what your people biologically need to survive" one of the Sunfire's nurses announced proudly. "You can't tell nature that you know best. It never works"

"Life will find a way." Savar offered simply.

It was at that point a communication from the central government offices interrupted the stalemate.

"We have come to an arrangement" The face of the Progenitor appeared on one of the viewscreens near the Ramant crew.

Rhenora turned, daring to hope that the Sunfire had managed to negotiate a way out of this mess.

"I have spoken to their kind. We will assist them to deliver our young, and they will be released without harm. We will study this new concept and hopefully find a way to use its effects without fully returning to the old ways" the Progenitor announced.

"Blasphemy! They have corrupted you!" The CSO shouted angrily, pointing his weapon at Rhenora. "This is YOUR fault!"

"If anyone is to blame it's those here on your world that stopped the population breeding in the first place!" Aurora moved up beside Rhenora but not before handing their daughter to Savar to protect. "You doomed your own people! look at what's happened, you are so narrow minded that you couldn't even see what you were doing!"

Stepping up between Rhenora and Aurora, Bonnie was looking at the number of pregnant people and recalling her own struggle, she dared ask, "What about those who do not want to help the Ramant? Who choose not to risk their own well-being by giving birth to a Ramant child?" Then she thought it through further, "And who decides the ramifications on behalf of the infant? I doubt they have a social structure for childcare."

"We cannot do everything for them, Bonnie. They will have to figure out their new social structure for themselves. As for those who do not choose to continue carrying a child, they have every right to choose not to take part, I imagine. They were forced against their will, so I can imagine many will not wish to continue to help." He placed a hand on Rhenora's shoulder, deeply wondering what her choice would be in the matter.

The Progenitor saw the altercation through the viewscreen. "You will cease your intentions promptly. Further more you will assist them to deliver our offspring and leave freely.' The Progenitors voice was firm. "We have over 100 offspring due within the next cycle. I'm sure you and your team should get to work. Be warned that if there is any further violence against them, you will be struck from the adoption register."

"I request oversight and assistance from our own medical staff, they are more aware of any potential complications we may experience" Commander Baldric addressed the Progenitor.

"We will allow it, but the children remain ours. You are free to leave once they are delivered." The Progenitor vanished from the screen.

"Rude." Bonnie harumphed quietly to herself. Her own experience had left her feeling 'off' about a good number of things, not the least were the odd changes she felt in her body. Her pants felt tighter, as did her blouse and she could only wonder what else had been altered.

Savar moved to Aurora and Rhenora, "Captain", He greeted her "It is good to see that you are... um, it is good to see you."" He stammered as he next turned to Aurora, "Our daughter wishes her mother to hold her. Apparently, I am not doing it correctly."

"Welcome to parenthood" Rhenora laughed as the infant was handed over. The crew seemed restless, unsure of what to do now that they had a glimpse of freedom. "Allow our males to return to the ship, along with those who are not with child. You have no use for them." She requested, counting a good third of the captive population that fit into that bill.

"They can remain here for collection" the Ramant agreed.

"I...need to contact my ship" Rhenora tried again, nodding towards Baldric who seemed to be distracted by the pain in her midsection. "We need our medical personnel."

TBC