Star Trek: Existence with death
1
Lieutenant Harrods glided down deck fifteen, her algarhythms in hand. Several Ensigns had reported to her today, showing her their new studies, and not one of them could get the basic algarhythm correct. Even after weeks of research, they still failed to grasp the concept of thermodynamics.
But, as she considered this, Harrods paused in the middle of the deck. Her face turned bitter – cold, in fact, as she fingered the work of Ensign Lore. She allowed herself one glance at the PADD that belonged to Mina.
Harrods shook her head and smiled, while tears found their way into her eyes. Mina Lore was always, to put it in 21st century terms, the 'slow one'. Not the brightest phaser in the bank.
A cold sensation filled her fingers as she scanned the PADD with, not a triquarter, but her eyes.
Her fingers began to shake as she spotted more and more errors with Minas' work. She dropped it upon seeing the twelveth mistake.
“Hello, Lieutenant.” Commander Javu bent down to recover the fallen pad, and his smile lost it's glory as he saw the Ensigns' name encrypted in bold letters. His body language became pitiful.
“I know, Harrods. I know it's hard to look at her work. But we have to move on.”
“I'm fine, Commander. I just dropped her readings by accident, that's all. Cold fingers.”
Javu breathed a sigh of discontent and smiled briefly as he made his way back onto the bridge, leaving Jane feeling unsettled. But she was right. It was cold on deck fifteen. Especially knowing that this was where she died. Mina Lore, R.I.P.
Lore and Harrods were never friends. They were always on an icey professional level. Jane was renowned for keeping a distance. But, now, thanks to Minas' death, she resented herself.
“Jane? Jane, is that you?” Lieutenant Stein peered over his steaming hot cup of herbal tea, freshly replicated by the likes of the mess-hall chef.
“Yes, Geoff. It's me.”
“Well, sit down! I'm not staying her all night to wait for your first social interaction.”
Harrods looked around her, wondering why she decided to land herself in this social mess... hall. She glanced at the gossiping crewmen who sat on a table far away from the people who pulled rank.
“Fine, Geoff,” Jane looked down and grasped the neck of the chair, and janked it forward, embarrassing herself by nearly making the table collapse.
“So, Jane? Are you dying?” Steins' dry sense of humour barely touched Jane. She had been so used to slightly sarcastic comments, usually negative, that she ignored him.
“Geoff. I am simply trying to make conversation.” Jane bent her head forward, curious to see Geoffs' reaction as she 'reached out'. She thought this to be a rather 'corny' saying.
“Oh. That Ensigns' death really hitting you hard, huh?” sympathy did not reach Lieutenant Steins' eyes. He steadily drank from his Starfleet cup.
Jane opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out as they were all sent forward. Red lights ablaze as a voice seeped through the comm, “Red alert!” she failed to make sense of these words as her head hit the table with a hard jolt, sending her deep into unconsciousness. The words “red alert” filled her mind as Minas' face made an appearance in her blurred vision.
“Jane... Lieutenant Harrods.. please help me..” Mina called out to her, just as Harrods found herself gasping for air. She was trapped in water.. so much water!
“I ca-” Jane gurgled, “I can't Mina.. tell Captain Marre! He can send a te-” she got pulled under the water quickly as Minas' face faded from view. She felt herself sinking further, her lungs gasping for air as she fell deeper into the ever-growing ocean of guilt.
“Jane.. it's me. I've come back to the USS Keller...”
1
Lieutenant Harrods glided down deck fifteen, her algarhythms in hand. Several Ensigns had reported to her today, showing her their new studies, and not one of them could get the basic algarhythm correct. Even after weeks of research, they still failed to grasp the concept of thermodynamics.
But, as she considered this, Harrods paused in the middle of the deck. Her face turned bitter – cold, in fact, as she fingered the work of Ensign Lore. She allowed herself one glance at the PADD that belonged to Mina.
Harrods shook her head and smiled, while tears found their way into her eyes. Mina Lore was always, to put it in 21st century terms, the 'slow one'. Not the brightest phaser in the bank.
A cold sensation filled her fingers as she scanned the PADD with, not a triquarter, but her eyes.
Her fingers began to shake as she spotted more and more errors with Minas' work. She dropped it upon seeing the twelveth mistake.
“Hello, Lieutenant.” Commander Javu bent down to recover the fallen pad, and his smile lost it's glory as he saw the Ensigns' name encrypted in bold letters. His body language became pitiful.
“I know, Harrods. I know it's hard to look at her work. But we have to move on.”
“I'm fine, Commander. I just dropped her readings by accident, that's all. Cold fingers.”
Javu breathed a sigh of discontent and smiled briefly as he made his way back onto the bridge, leaving Jane feeling unsettled. But she was right. It was cold on deck fifteen. Especially knowing that this was where she died. Mina Lore, R.I.P.
Lore and Harrods were never friends. They were always on an icey professional level. Jane was renowned for keeping a distance. But, now, thanks to Minas' death, she resented herself.
“Jane? Jane, is that you?” Lieutenant Stein peered over his steaming hot cup of herbal tea, freshly replicated by the likes of the mess-hall chef.
“Yes, Geoff. It's me.”
“Well, sit down! I'm not staying her all night to wait for your first social interaction.”
Harrods looked around her, wondering why she decided to land herself in this social mess... hall. She glanced at the gossiping crewmen who sat on a table far away from the people who pulled rank.
“Fine, Geoff,” Jane looked down and grasped the neck of the chair, and janked it forward, embarrassing herself by nearly making the table collapse.
“So, Jane? Are you dying?” Steins' dry sense of humour barely touched Jane. She had been so used to slightly sarcastic comments, usually negative, that she ignored him.
“Geoff. I am simply trying to make conversation.” Jane bent her head forward, curious to see Geoffs' reaction as she 'reached out'. She thought this to be a rather 'corny' saying.
“Oh. That Ensigns' death really hitting you hard, huh?” sympathy did not reach Lieutenant Steins' eyes. He steadily drank from his Starfleet cup.
Jane opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out as they were all sent forward. Red lights ablaze as a voice seeped through the comm, “Red alert!” she failed to make sense of these words as her head hit the table with a hard jolt, sending her deep into unconsciousness. The words “red alert” filled her mind as Minas' face made an appearance in her blurred vision.
“Jane... Lieutenant Harrods.. please help me..” Mina called out to her, just as Harrods found herself gasping for air. She was trapped in water.. so much water!
“I ca-” Jane gurgled, “I can't Mina.. tell Captain Marre! He can send a te-” she got pulled under the water quickly as Minas' face faded from view. She felt herself sinking further, her lungs gasping for air as she fell deeper into the ever-growing ocean of guilt.
“Jane.. it's me. I've come back to the USS Keller...”
