Danger Joseph Akinola...Danger...
Tales of the USS Bluefin - 9: "Ghost in the Machine"
- Thread starter TheLoneRedshirt
- Start date
Actually, he told them to return to the Eku's bridge. The away team is still on board with Akinola.
Wherever that may be.
Chapter Ten
Stardate 54259.1 (15 April 2377)
SS Eku
Sector 04341 – Near the Lesser Riven nebula
Akinola stood in the forward corridor, once more peering into the darkness of his old quarters. This time, however, he did not sense another presence, nor did the darkness seem so foreboding.
You're still just shook up over seeing the old ship, mused Akinola. There's nothing here but your over-active imagination.
He was about to enter the room when his combadge chirped, and Lt. Bane's voice came through. Akinola's brow furrowed at the obvious sense of urgency in the young Aussie's voice.
"Bluefin to away team!"
The Captain tapped his combadge in acknowledgement. "Akinola here, go ahead."
"Sir! We need to beam you off of there immediately! We're picking up a massive spike of tri-quantum waves from th . . ." The transmission was suddenly interrupted by a loud squeal that came over the channel. Akinola winced from the high-pitched noise. "Lieutenant Bane, your signal is breaking up, please . . ."
A sudden wave of vertigo passed over Akinola, causing him to stagger. He leaned against the bulkhead, fighting the sudden dizziness and nausea.
And then time and space went mad.
* * *
Stardate 54259.1 (15 April 2377)
USS Bluefin
Sector 04341 – Near the Lesser Riven nebula
Bane glanced up as the turbo-lift doors opened and Commander Strauss stepped onto the bridge. At any other time, he would have been amused by her disheveled appearance. Obviously, she had been asleep as her normally braided hair cascaded freely across her shoulders and down her back. She wore a rumpled academy T-shirt, blue running shorts and fuzzy pink slippers. She did not look particularly happy.
"Report!" she called out as she moved toward Bane and Ensign Vashtee.
Lt. Bane quickly recounted the events of the past few minutes. Strauss' eyes widened as he told of the Eku's sudden disappearance through a trans-warp conduit.
"You've warned the other away teams?" Strauss pressed, trying to fathom the situation.
Bane nodded. "Yes, and they've already been pulled off the other three 'prodigal' ships. So far, there's been no unusual energy readings from them."
Inga blew out a quick breath, concerned and frustrated. "Keep an eye on them. Let me know the instant you spot any anomaly." She turned to Lt. Sarnek who was seated at the helm.
"Sarnek, back us off fifty-thousand klicks from where the Eku disappeared. I want a little more distance between us and where that conduit opened."
Vashtee turned her attention to a signal on her console. She turned back to Strauss.
"In-coming signal from the Scamp."
It suddenly dawned on Inga how she was dressed. She set aside her pride and settled into the command chair, trying to look as dignified as fuzzy pink slippers allowed. "On-screen, Ensign."
The face of Captain Boris Rodenko appeared on the main viewer, looking decidedly unhappy. His brows knit together more tightly when he noticed Commander Strauss in a T-shirt, shorts and slippers, but he refrained from commenting on her appearance.
"Commander, what just happened? We received the emergency recall signal and now I understand the Eku has vanished. Was Captain Akinola and his away team still on board?"
"I'm afraid so, sir. All we know at the moment is that a trans-warp conduit suddenly appeared and pulled the Eku away. We're trying now to figure out a possible heading."
Rodenko grunted. "For all the good that will do. They could be hundreds of thousands of parsecs distant - far beyond our range to help."
"That's possible, sir," admitted Strauss, "but we have to start somewhere. Maybe they didn't travel so very far."
The Russian Captain regarded Inga with dark eyes. "Very well Commander. Remain on station and continue your scans. I will contact Admiral Bateson and apprise him of the situation."
Inga was very glad she didn't have to make that call. "We'll get them back somehow, Captain," she said, with more confidence than she felt.
"I wish I shared your optimism, Commander Strauss. But I do hope you are right! Scamp, out."
* * *
Stardate- Unknown
SS Eku
Sector - Unknown
FLASH
Eight year-old Joseph Akinola stared at the tiny dark-haired bundle that was his new baby sister with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. His mother pulled back the pink blanket so Joseph could better see her face. "Her name is Melody . . ."
FLASH
"So . . . asked a cocky but nervous First Class Petty Officer Akinola," If I buy you a drink, will you tell me your name?"
The dark skinned petty officer with striking green eyes rewarded him with a speculative gaze and raised a glass in reply. "If you were paying closer attention, you would have noticed I already have a drink." Her face broke into a lovely smile at Akinola's sudden crestfallen expression.
"Mayweather, Petty Officer 2nd Class Kalinda Mayweather. And may I say, that was the lamest pick-up move I've ever seen! . . ."
FLASH
"Happy birthday, Joey!" said Samuel Akinola, handing his son a small, brightly wrapped passage.
"What is it?" asked thirteen year-old Joseph.
"Open it, silly!" chided his mother. Joseph quickly tore off the wrapping which revealed an oblong yellow box. Lifting the lid, Joseph's eyes widened and a big grin formed on his face.
"Thanks!" he said, holding an intricately engraved pocket knife. . .
FLASH
CPO Joseph Akinola walked slowly around the latest additions to the Bluefin's crew - mostly new recruits, fresh from basic training. His eye fell on a burly red-skinned fellow who had a slight scuff on one of his boots.
"You! Red! Who the hell do you think you are, standing there with messed up boots! Damn your ugly hide, you're on the USS Bluefin, not some artsy-fartsy fleet ship! You will get your ass squared away or I'll ship your ass to a relay station - you got that?"
"Yes, Chief," replied the red Orion tightly.
Akinola got into the man's face and peered into it. "I think you're a slacker, Red! What's your name?"
"Brin . . . Solly Brin . . ."
FLASH
Thirteen year-old Joseph pressed his tear-streaked face against the tiny viewport of the escape pod, his breath fogging against the small aperture.
He could just make out the running lights of the Eku against the darkness of the Lesser Riven Nebula. Then, his eyes fixed on a massive object that hung in space very close to the freighter - some gigantic cube . . .
FLASH
* * *
Captain Akinola seemed to awake from some strange, pro-longed dream. He lifted his face from his hands and looked carefully around.
He was on the Eku, sitting on the edge of his bunk in his darkened quarters. The faint light from the corridor emergency lights created a skewed rectangle of gray from the open doorway. The rest of the room was dark.
Akinola realized his hands were wet. Gently, he reached up to discover that his face was also wet - streaked with inexplicable tears.
Gingerly, he rose to his feet. The vertigo and nausea that had struck him (when?) had passed, but his head still felt muzzy, as if he had awaken from a very long sleep.
He looked around the room with his eyes now adjusted to the darkness. He could make out his old desk, the coveralls he wore as a boy draped over the back of the desk chair. He could make out the faint outline of ship models he had built on shelves over the desk.
His eyes drifted left. He saw the old night-stand and lamp by his bunk, though it was still too dark to make out any details.
A change in the light from the corridor caused him to look up. Someone tall was standing there in silhouette, backlit by the emergency lights. Not Solly or Dr. Castille, yet the form was somehow familiar . . .
FLASH
* * *
Akinola's eyes jerked open. He was leaning against the corridor bulkhead, where he had sought support when the vertigo hit.
He straightened, somewhat shakily. The vertigo was gone, but he felt a pounding in his head - the ominous portent of an oncoming headache.
He ran his tongue around in his mouth, which was dry and tasted horrible. Clearing his throat, he tapped his combadge.
"Akinola to Bluefin."
There was no reply, not even the background hiss of an open channel. He tried again.
"Akinola to Bluefin, come in please."
No response. He decided to try a different tack.
"Akinola to Brin, what's your current location?"
He was only rewarded by further silence.
Aggravated by the malfunctioning combadge but concerned for his crew, he began to move quickly aft.
"Solly? Delta? Are you alright?" he called as he neared engineering. There was no reply. He stepped over the knee-knocker lip of the hatch and entered the engineering space. His flashlight caught the prone form of Delta Simms, sprawled on the metal grating.
He hurried to her side, his heart hammering, and placed his fingers along her neck. He released his breath in relief as he found a strong pulse.
Simms moaned softly and attempted to lift herself from the deck. Akinola gently turned her over.
"Easy, Delta. Don't try to move too fast."
"Uhhhh," she groaned, "what happened? I got so dizzy . . ."
"You're not the only one," replied Akinola. "And I don't know what happened - yet. For now, we're incommunicado - I can't reach Bluefin. For that matter, I'm not sure my combadge is working at all." He peered into Simm's face. "Feeling better?"
She nodded slightly. "Yes sir, just . . . a little woozy."
"Sit tight for now. I'm going to check on the others."
As the Captain re-entered the corridor, he was rewarded by the sight of Solly Brin walking unsteadily from the aft head. He was rubbing his head and muttering to himself.
"Solly? You okay?" queried the Captain.
"What the frak happened, Skipper? I was using the head . . . next thing I know, I hear this high-pitched squeal . . ." he continued to rub his head. "Must've fallen off the frakkin' throne!"
Akinola managed to restrain a smile. "I'm not sure what happened. I must have passed out again and I just found Delta unconscious in the engine room. She's come around, but still groggy. How's your head?"
"I've been hit harder," he groused. "What about K'lira and Doc?" he asked, sudden concern apparent in his voice.
"You go up to the bridge and check on them - I'll see if Commander Simms is up to moving around, yet."
Brin lumbered off toward the bridge. Akinola turned and . . .
FLASH
The Captain sat on the side of his bunk in the dimness of his old quarters. He blinked slowly and frowned, not remembering how he got here.
A shadow fell over the rectangular patch of light that came from the corridor. He glanced up to see a tall figure standing in the doorway. The silhouette was so familiar . . .
A familiar, pleasant scent wafted into the room. Lime . . . it smelled just like the lime beard suppressor his father . . . he reached out his hand . . .
FLASH
His hand came to rest on the hard edge of the hatchway to the engine room. Delta Simms was standing before him, a startled look on her face.
"Captain, are you okay?"
* * *
Stardate 54259.1 (15 April 2377)
SS Eku
Sector 04341 – Near the Lesser Riven nebula
Akinola stood in the forward corridor, once more peering into the darkness of his old quarters. This time, however, he did not sense another presence, nor did the darkness seem so foreboding.
You're still just shook up over seeing the old ship, mused Akinola. There's nothing here but your over-active imagination.
He was about to enter the room when his combadge chirped, and Lt. Bane's voice came through. Akinola's brow furrowed at the obvious sense of urgency in the young Aussie's voice.
"Bluefin to away team!"
The Captain tapped his combadge in acknowledgement. "Akinola here, go ahead."
"Sir! We need to beam you off of there immediately! We're picking up a massive spike of tri-quantum waves from th . . ." The transmission was suddenly interrupted by a loud squeal that came over the channel. Akinola winced from the high-pitched noise. "Lieutenant Bane, your signal is breaking up, please . . ."
A sudden wave of vertigo passed over Akinola, causing him to stagger. He leaned against the bulkhead, fighting the sudden dizziness and nausea.
And then time and space went mad.
* * *
Stardate 54259.1 (15 April 2377)
USS Bluefin
Sector 04341 – Near the Lesser Riven nebula
Bane glanced up as the turbo-lift doors opened and Commander Strauss stepped onto the bridge. At any other time, he would have been amused by her disheveled appearance. Obviously, she had been asleep as her normally braided hair cascaded freely across her shoulders and down her back. She wore a rumpled academy T-shirt, blue running shorts and fuzzy pink slippers. She did not look particularly happy.
"Report!" she called out as she moved toward Bane and Ensign Vashtee.
Lt. Bane quickly recounted the events of the past few minutes. Strauss' eyes widened as he told of the Eku's sudden disappearance through a trans-warp conduit.
"You've warned the other away teams?" Strauss pressed, trying to fathom the situation.
Bane nodded. "Yes, and they've already been pulled off the other three 'prodigal' ships. So far, there's been no unusual energy readings from them."
Inga blew out a quick breath, concerned and frustrated. "Keep an eye on them. Let me know the instant you spot any anomaly." She turned to Lt. Sarnek who was seated at the helm.
"Sarnek, back us off fifty-thousand klicks from where the Eku disappeared. I want a little more distance between us and where that conduit opened."
Vashtee turned her attention to a signal on her console. She turned back to Strauss.
"In-coming signal from the Scamp."
It suddenly dawned on Inga how she was dressed. She set aside her pride and settled into the command chair, trying to look as dignified as fuzzy pink slippers allowed. "On-screen, Ensign."
The face of Captain Boris Rodenko appeared on the main viewer, looking decidedly unhappy. His brows knit together more tightly when he noticed Commander Strauss in a T-shirt, shorts and slippers, but he refrained from commenting on her appearance.
"Commander, what just happened? We received the emergency recall signal and now I understand the Eku has vanished. Was Captain Akinola and his away team still on board?"
"I'm afraid so, sir. All we know at the moment is that a trans-warp conduit suddenly appeared and pulled the Eku away. We're trying now to figure out a possible heading."
Rodenko grunted. "For all the good that will do. They could be hundreds of thousands of parsecs distant - far beyond our range to help."
"That's possible, sir," admitted Strauss, "but we have to start somewhere. Maybe they didn't travel so very far."
The Russian Captain regarded Inga with dark eyes. "Very well Commander. Remain on station and continue your scans. I will contact Admiral Bateson and apprise him of the situation."
Inga was very glad she didn't have to make that call. "We'll get them back somehow, Captain," she said, with more confidence than she felt.
"I wish I shared your optimism, Commander Strauss. But I do hope you are right! Scamp, out."
* * *
Stardate- Unknown
SS Eku
Sector - Unknown
FLASH
Eight year-old Joseph Akinola stared at the tiny dark-haired bundle that was his new baby sister with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. His mother pulled back the pink blanket so Joseph could better see her face. "Her name is Melody . . ."
FLASH
"So . . . asked a cocky but nervous First Class Petty Officer Akinola," If I buy you a drink, will you tell me your name?"
The dark skinned petty officer with striking green eyes rewarded him with a speculative gaze and raised a glass in reply. "If you were paying closer attention, you would have noticed I already have a drink." Her face broke into a lovely smile at Akinola's sudden crestfallen expression.
"Mayweather, Petty Officer 2nd Class Kalinda Mayweather. And may I say, that was the lamest pick-up move I've ever seen! . . ."
FLASH
"Happy birthday, Joey!" said Samuel Akinola, handing his son a small, brightly wrapped passage.
"What is it?" asked thirteen year-old Joseph.
"Open it, silly!" chided his mother. Joseph quickly tore off the wrapping which revealed an oblong yellow box. Lifting the lid, Joseph's eyes widened and a big grin formed on his face.
"Thanks!" he said, holding an intricately engraved pocket knife. . .
FLASH
CPO Joseph Akinola walked slowly around the latest additions to the Bluefin's crew - mostly new recruits, fresh from basic training. His eye fell on a burly red-skinned fellow who had a slight scuff on one of his boots.
"You! Red! Who the hell do you think you are, standing there with messed up boots! Damn your ugly hide, you're on the USS Bluefin, not some artsy-fartsy fleet ship! You will get your ass squared away or I'll ship your ass to a relay station - you got that?"
"Yes, Chief," replied the red Orion tightly.
Akinola got into the man's face and peered into it. "I think you're a slacker, Red! What's your name?"
"Brin . . . Solly Brin . . ."
FLASH
Thirteen year-old Joseph pressed his tear-streaked face against the tiny viewport of the escape pod, his breath fogging against the small aperture.
He could just make out the running lights of the Eku against the darkness of the Lesser Riven Nebula. Then, his eyes fixed on a massive object that hung in space very close to the freighter - some gigantic cube . . .
FLASH
* * *
Captain Akinola seemed to awake from some strange, pro-longed dream. He lifted his face from his hands and looked carefully around.
He was on the Eku, sitting on the edge of his bunk in his darkened quarters. The faint light from the corridor emergency lights created a skewed rectangle of gray from the open doorway. The rest of the room was dark.
Akinola realized his hands were wet. Gently, he reached up to discover that his face was also wet - streaked with inexplicable tears.
Gingerly, he rose to his feet. The vertigo and nausea that had struck him (when?) had passed, but his head still felt muzzy, as if he had awaken from a very long sleep.
He looked around the room with his eyes now adjusted to the darkness. He could make out his old desk, the coveralls he wore as a boy draped over the back of the desk chair. He could make out the faint outline of ship models he had built on shelves over the desk.
His eyes drifted left. He saw the old night-stand and lamp by his bunk, though it was still too dark to make out any details.
A change in the light from the corridor caused him to look up. Someone tall was standing there in silhouette, backlit by the emergency lights. Not Solly or Dr. Castille, yet the form was somehow familiar . . .
FLASH
* * *
Akinola's eyes jerked open. He was leaning against the corridor bulkhead, where he had sought support when the vertigo hit.
He straightened, somewhat shakily. The vertigo was gone, but he felt a pounding in his head - the ominous portent of an oncoming headache.
He ran his tongue around in his mouth, which was dry and tasted horrible. Clearing his throat, he tapped his combadge.
"Akinola to Bluefin."
There was no reply, not even the background hiss of an open channel. He tried again.
"Akinola to Bluefin, come in please."
No response. He decided to try a different tack.
"Akinola to Brin, what's your current location?"
He was only rewarded by further silence.
Aggravated by the malfunctioning combadge but concerned for his crew, he began to move quickly aft.
"Solly? Delta? Are you alright?" he called as he neared engineering. There was no reply. He stepped over the knee-knocker lip of the hatch and entered the engineering space. His flashlight caught the prone form of Delta Simms, sprawled on the metal grating.
He hurried to her side, his heart hammering, and placed his fingers along her neck. He released his breath in relief as he found a strong pulse.
Simms moaned softly and attempted to lift herself from the deck. Akinola gently turned her over.
"Easy, Delta. Don't try to move too fast."
"Uhhhh," she groaned, "what happened? I got so dizzy . . ."
"You're not the only one," replied Akinola. "And I don't know what happened - yet. For now, we're incommunicado - I can't reach Bluefin. For that matter, I'm not sure my combadge is working at all." He peered into Simm's face. "Feeling better?"
She nodded slightly. "Yes sir, just . . . a little woozy."
"Sit tight for now. I'm going to check on the others."
As the Captain re-entered the corridor, he was rewarded by the sight of Solly Brin walking unsteadily from the aft head. He was rubbing his head and muttering to himself.
"Solly? You okay?" queried the Captain.
"What the frak happened, Skipper? I was using the head . . . next thing I know, I hear this high-pitched squeal . . ." he continued to rub his head. "Must've fallen off the frakkin' throne!"
Akinola managed to restrain a smile. "I'm not sure what happened. I must have passed out again and I just found Delta unconscious in the engine room. She's come around, but still groggy. How's your head?"
"I've been hit harder," he groused. "What about K'lira and Doc?" he asked, sudden concern apparent in his voice.
"You go up to the bridge and check on them - I'll see if Commander Simms is up to moving around, yet."
Brin lumbered off toward the bridge. Akinola turned and . . .
FLASH
The Captain sat on the side of his bunk in the dimness of his old quarters. He blinked slowly and frowned, not remembering how he got here.
A shadow fell over the rectangular patch of light that came from the corridor. He glanced up to see a tall figure standing in the doorway. The silhouette was so familiar . . .
A familiar, pleasant scent wafted into the room. Lime . . . it smelled just like the lime beard suppressor his father . . . he reached out his hand . . .
FLASH
His hand came to rest on the hard edge of the hatchway to the engine room. Delta Simms was standing before him, a startled look on her face.
"Captain, are you okay?"
* * *
I like how you wrote this--fast paced, lots of character insights, and you've ratcheted the tension up magnificently. A very, very well written part!
FLASH
Hey, where'd the next chapter go???? Well????????
Hey, where'd the next chapter go???? Well????????
Well, I'm now all caught up with Bluefin, and I must say, I am looking forward to seeing how this comes out!
After all the buildup about Akinola's past with the Eku, I am definitely looking forward to seeing how all of this is solved. And I love the confusion as to whether what he's experiencing now is some sort of extended dream sequence, or perhaps some sort of disruption of the flow of time brought on by this transwarp corridor. Let's just hope the Borg aren't on the other end!
And on kind of a side note, I am really wondering how, once all of this is over, Akinola is going to cope with the fact that his family is now presumed assimilated, not dead. It's hard to tell which is the worst fate, honestly, and that's going to have to affect him somehow.
After all the buildup about Akinola's past with the Eku, I am definitely looking forward to seeing how all of this is solved. And I love the confusion as to whether what he's experiencing now is some sort of extended dream sequence, or perhaps some sort of disruption of the flow of time brought on by this transwarp corridor. Let's just hope the Borg aren't on the other end!
And on kind of a side note, I am really wondering how, once all of this is over, Akinola is going to cope with the fact that his family is now presumed assimilated, not dead. It's hard to tell which is the worst fate, honestly, and that's going to have to affect him somehow.
I think the Borg, relaunch or otherwise, should think at least twice before going up against Akinola after this. He's not going to be in the least bit diplomatic, except the Scotty was, a fully loaded phaser bank and a brace quantum torpedoes.
Chapter Eleven
Stardate 54259.2 (15 April 2377)
USS Bluefin
Sector 04341 – Near the Lesser Riven nebula
Commander Strauss managed to slip down to her quarters long enough to don a proper uniform and run a brush through her hair. In her haste, she decided to forgo her usual braid, letting her long blond hair remain unfettered for a change.
Returning to the bridge, she found that Lt. Commander Gralt had joined Lt. Bane and Ensign Vashtee at operations. Gralt, with his usual Telarite charm, was making an emphatic point.
"By the tumorous third nose of the blind deity! Trans-warp conduits don't just appear out of nowhere, Bane! It must have been a worm-hole or cosmic string that grabbed that freighter!" The shorter Gralt was crowding up against the considerably taller Bane, a stubby finger poking the Lieutenant's chest for emphasis."
"Worm-holes and cosmic strings don't produce tri-quantum waves, Commander!" replied Bane, testily. "If you'd just look at the data stream . . ."
Inga strode up and gazed at the two officers. "Have you made any progress, gentlemen?" she asked in a calm voice.
Bane looked relieved at the arrival of Strauss while Gralt looked annoyed. Of course, Gralt always looked annoyed, so reading his actual mood was something of a challenge.
The crotchety Chief Engineer turned his bucolic gaze on the XO. "Progress? How the frak can we make progress when we still don't know what happened?!"
"We do know what bloody happened!" insisted Bane, "We just don't know how!"
"Same difference," grumbled Gralt, folding his arms across his chest, dismissively.
Inga smiled tightly and spoke in a sweet, quiet, yet steely tone. "Right now, I need our Chief Engineer and our Operations Manager to call a truce and stop the bickering. Understood?"
Gralt and Bane continued to glare at each other, but both dropped their gaze when they noticed Strauss' expression.
"Sorry . . . Yes Ma'am," they muttered like two chastened school boys.
"Good! Let's start with what you do know. Mr. Bane, you mentioned tri-quantum waves. Is there any phenomena that could produce those waves other than a trans-warp conduit?"
Nigel shook his head. "No ma'am, at least no known phenomena. 'Course our experience with trans-warp is limited to Starfleet's failed experiment a century ago and our encounters with the Borg."
Strauss frowned at that. "Well, as far as we know, Starfleet still hasn't mastered trans-warp technology, which seems to leave the Borg as culprits."
Gralt made a rude noise and stared at Strauss and Bane with an incredulous expression. "You're not rutting serious! Since when have the Borg been known for subtlety? That's not exactly their style. They tend to be all 'We are the frakking Borg, we're going to assimilate your ass and there's not a gods-whoring thing you can do about it!'"
Strauss sighed. "Point well taken, Mr. Gralt - but it seems that the Borg are the logical culprits based on our current evidence."
Gralt squinted his inky black eyes and replied sarcastically, "Please - if you're going to patronize me, don't do it sounding like some tight-ass Vulcan!"
Strauss folded her own arms and put her nose inches from Gralt's snout - her voice low and dangerous. "And don't you get condescending with me, Mister! I am not in the mood. In case you've forgotten, five of our people are missing. Either do something constructive and help find them, or I'll by God replace you with someone who can!"
* * *
Stardate - Unknown
SS Eku
Sector - Unknown
Delta Simms' face reflected genuine concern and she placed a hand on the Captain's arm.
"Captain, are you okay?"
Did I just disappear for a moment, Commander? . . . Probably not the best question to ask at the moment, he thought. Aloud, he said:
"Fine, Commander. I was just . . . elsewhere for a moment. Are you feeling better?"
A small smile flickered across her face, but her hazel eyes still registered concern. "Yes sir, I'm okay - the dizziness has passed. What do you think happened?"
Akinola frowned. "I don't know, Delta. Right now, we need to try and reestablish contact with the Bluefin. Whatever happened to us may have affected them too. Try your combadge."
Simms tapped her combadge, but there was no tell-tale chirp of activation. She tapped it again with no better result.
"Mine's not working either."
"See if you can get power restored and we can use the ship's com-system. I'm heading to the bridge, but I'll be back in just a few minutes."
Delta nodded. "Yes sir. I should be able to power us back up in ten or fifteen minutes."
Akinola smiled. "Good. See you shortly."
* * *
Brin quickly ascended the ladder to the bridge, where he found K'lira kneeling over Dr. Castille. The Doctor appeared to still be unconscious, with an ominous bump over his left eye.
"Are you alright?" Brin asked, K'lira.
She turned at the sound of Brin's voice and their eyes locked momentarily. Solly couldn't read her expression.
"Yes," she finally responded, "there was a high-frequency burst - like feedback, only worse. I must have fainted for just a moment. When I came to, I saw the Doctor lying on the deck - looks like he hit his head on the console."
Brin knelt down beside the Doctor and checked his pulse, annoying K'lira.
"I had enough sense to do that, you know," she said cooly.
"I'm sure you do," he replied, carefully. "Sorry."
She gave a curt nod. "Anyone else pass out?"
"Apparently, we all did," replied Solly, "Do me a favor - check Doc's medi-kit. There should be a cold-compress in it."
Rune opened the small kit and peered into the contents, then withdrew a small square. She twisted it slightly, precipitating a chemical reaction that chilled the compress. Carefully, she placed it on Castille's forhead, then reached across the unconscious CMO and pulled the medical scanner from his hip.
Solly frowned as K'lira opened the bio-scanner and activated it.
"Do you know how to use that thing?" he asked, doubtfully.
"You might be surprised to know, we actually did more at the Academy than sing songs and march around the quad."
Brin's retort was cut off by the sound of boots on the ladder. A moment later, Akinola appeared. His already serious expression became more troubled when he noticed the prone form of the CMO on the deck.
"What's wrong with him?" he queried.
"He must have hit his head when we passed out," replied Lt. Rune, running the scanner over Castille. She glanced at the readout, pursing her lips in thought.
"The best I can tell, there's no major injury, but he does have a mild concussion. We better get him back to the Bluefin," she said.
Brin and Akinola exchanged glances. "That may be a bit of a problem, Lieutenant," said Akinola, "we're unable to contact Bluefin. Commander Simms is working to restore power so we can use the ship's communicator."
Reflexively, K'lira tapped her own combadge to be rewarded with silence. "What could have happened?" she wondered aloud.
"Hopefully, we'll get some answers when we restore communications."
She turned her head and raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Hopefully?"
Akinola looked grim. "Lieutenant, don't you think Commander Strauss would beam us back to the ship once communications were lost? Since we're still here, we can assume that something has affected the Bluefin as well. I've no doubt they're working as fast as they can to restore any systems that are off-line, just as we are."
Suddenly, the lights on the compact bridge flickered to life and the control consoles began to beep as power flowed once more.
Akinola stood, smiling for the first time in hours. "Nice work, Delta," he murmured.
He stepped to the multi-function operations console and activated the communications system. He adjusted the frequency and keyed the transmit control.
"Eku to Bluefin, come in please!"
The soft hiss of the open channel breathed through the speakers, but they received no reply. Akinola checked the comm-board, frowning.
"Everything appears to be functioning," he muttered. "They should be receiving us."
"Maybe their comm system is down," suggested Solly.
"Maybe," conceded the Captain. They all turned at the sound of steps on the ladder rungs and Delta Simms appeared suddenly, her freckled face somewhat pale and her expression flustered.
"Nice work getting the power back up," remarked Akinola.
"Captain, I didn't do it!" Simms said in a puzzled voice. "I was still looking for the reactor reset controls when the lights just . . . came on!"
"An auxiliary back-up system?" suggested Rune. Akinola shook his head, clearly non-plussed.
"No . . . Eku doesn't have auxiliary power like Bluefin. Just the emergency batteries," Akinola's eyes tracked upward to the power circuit controls. "Look at that . . ." he said, softly.
The others followed his gaze to the power busses. They were still locked in the open position. There was no way power should flow to the bridge unless they were in the closed position.
"Frak!" muttered Solly, who made a subtle Orion warding gesture. K'lira caught the gesture.
"I thought you didn't believe in that stuff," she said, derisively.
"K'lira, for once could you just . . ." Brin began.
"Not . . . now," rasped Akinola. He depressed a series of switches on the operations board.
The viewscreen came to life, diagnostic code scrolling down one side of the screen momentarily before the image stabilized and they were finally able to see outside the Eku.
Delta's eyes widened and she clasped her hands to her mouth.
"Oh God!" she whispered, imploringly. The others simply stared, speechless at the spectacle that met their eyes.
Instead of the Bluefin, six Borg cubes hung in space like dark mountains. The mere sight of the monstrous vessels unleashed a primal spark of fear in each of the small band.
No! thought Akinola, Not this!
* * *
Stardate 54259.2 (15 April 2377)
USS Bluefin
Sector 04341 – Near the Lesser Riven nebula
Commander Strauss managed to slip down to her quarters long enough to don a proper uniform and run a brush through her hair. In her haste, she decided to forgo her usual braid, letting her long blond hair remain unfettered for a change.
Returning to the bridge, she found that Lt. Commander Gralt had joined Lt. Bane and Ensign Vashtee at operations. Gralt, with his usual Telarite charm, was making an emphatic point.
"By the tumorous third nose of the blind deity! Trans-warp conduits don't just appear out of nowhere, Bane! It must have been a worm-hole or cosmic string that grabbed that freighter!" The shorter Gralt was crowding up against the considerably taller Bane, a stubby finger poking the Lieutenant's chest for emphasis."
"Worm-holes and cosmic strings don't produce tri-quantum waves, Commander!" replied Bane, testily. "If you'd just look at the data stream . . ."
Inga strode up and gazed at the two officers. "Have you made any progress, gentlemen?" she asked in a calm voice.
Bane looked relieved at the arrival of Strauss while Gralt looked annoyed. Of course, Gralt always looked annoyed, so reading his actual mood was something of a challenge.
The crotchety Chief Engineer turned his bucolic gaze on the XO. "Progress? How the frak can we make progress when we still don't know what happened?!"
"We do know what bloody happened!" insisted Bane, "We just don't know how!"
"Same difference," grumbled Gralt, folding his arms across his chest, dismissively.
Inga smiled tightly and spoke in a sweet, quiet, yet steely tone. "Right now, I need our Chief Engineer and our Operations Manager to call a truce and stop the bickering. Understood?"
Gralt and Bane continued to glare at each other, but both dropped their gaze when they noticed Strauss' expression.
"Sorry . . . Yes Ma'am," they muttered like two chastened school boys.
"Good! Let's start with what you do know. Mr. Bane, you mentioned tri-quantum waves. Is there any phenomena that could produce those waves other than a trans-warp conduit?"
Nigel shook his head. "No ma'am, at least no known phenomena. 'Course our experience with trans-warp is limited to Starfleet's failed experiment a century ago and our encounters with the Borg."
Strauss frowned at that. "Well, as far as we know, Starfleet still hasn't mastered trans-warp technology, which seems to leave the Borg as culprits."
Gralt made a rude noise and stared at Strauss and Bane with an incredulous expression. "You're not rutting serious! Since when have the Borg been known for subtlety? That's not exactly their style. They tend to be all 'We are the frakking Borg, we're going to assimilate your ass and there's not a gods-whoring thing you can do about it!'"
Strauss sighed. "Point well taken, Mr. Gralt - but it seems that the Borg are the logical culprits based on our current evidence."
Gralt squinted his inky black eyes and replied sarcastically, "Please - if you're going to patronize me, don't do it sounding like some tight-ass Vulcan!"
Strauss folded her own arms and put her nose inches from Gralt's snout - her voice low and dangerous. "And don't you get condescending with me, Mister! I am not in the mood. In case you've forgotten, five of our people are missing. Either do something constructive and help find them, or I'll by God replace you with someone who can!"
* * *
Stardate - Unknown
SS Eku
Sector - Unknown
Delta Simms' face reflected genuine concern and she placed a hand on the Captain's arm.
"Captain, are you okay?"
Did I just disappear for a moment, Commander? . . . Probably not the best question to ask at the moment, he thought. Aloud, he said:
"Fine, Commander. I was just . . . elsewhere for a moment. Are you feeling better?"
A small smile flickered across her face, but her hazel eyes still registered concern. "Yes sir, I'm okay - the dizziness has passed. What do you think happened?"
Akinola frowned. "I don't know, Delta. Right now, we need to try and reestablish contact with the Bluefin. Whatever happened to us may have affected them too. Try your combadge."
Simms tapped her combadge, but there was no tell-tale chirp of activation. She tapped it again with no better result.
"Mine's not working either."
"See if you can get power restored and we can use the ship's com-system. I'm heading to the bridge, but I'll be back in just a few minutes."
Delta nodded. "Yes sir. I should be able to power us back up in ten or fifteen minutes."
Akinola smiled. "Good. See you shortly."
* * *
Brin quickly ascended the ladder to the bridge, where he found K'lira kneeling over Dr. Castille. The Doctor appeared to still be unconscious, with an ominous bump over his left eye.
"Are you alright?" Brin asked, K'lira.
She turned at the sound of Brin's voice and their eyes locked momentarily. Solly couldn't read her expression.
"Yes," she finally responded, "there was a high-frequency burst - like feedback, only worse. I must have fainted for just a moment. When I came to, I saw the Doctor lying on the deck - looks like he hit his head on the console."
Brin knelt down beside the Doctor and checked his pulse, annoying K'lira.
"I had enough sense to do that, you know," she said cooly.
"I'm sure you do," he replied, carefully. "Sorry."
She gave a curt nod. "Anyone else pass out?"
"Apparently, we all did," replied Solly, "Do me a favor - check Doc's medi-kit. There should be a cold-compress in it."
Rune opened the small kit and peered into the contents, then withdrew a small square. She twisted it slightly, precipitating a chemical reaction that chilled the compress. Carefully, she placed it on Castille's forhead, then reached across the unconscious CMO and pulled the medical scanner from his hip.
Solly frowned as K'lira opened the bio-scanner and activated it.
"Do you know how to use that thing?" he asked, doubtfully.
"You might be surprised to know, we actually did more at the Academy than sing songs and march around the quad."
Brin's retort was cut off by the sound of boots on the ladder. A moment later, Akinola appeared. His already serious expression became more troubled when he noticed the prone form of the CMO on the deck.
"What's wrong with him?" he queried.
"He must have hit his head when we passed out," replied Lt. Rune, running the scanner over Castille. She glanced at the readout, pursing her lips in thought.
"The best I can tell, there's no major injury, but he does have a mild concussion. We better get him back to the Bluefin," she said.
Brin and Akinola exchanged glances. "That may be a bit of a problem, Lieutenant," said Akinola, "we're unable to contact Bluefin. Commander Simms is working to restore power so we can use the ship's communicator."
Reflexively, K'lira tapped her own combadge to be rewarded with silence. "What could have happened?" she wondered aloud.
"Hopefully, we'll get some answers when we restore communications."
She turned her head and raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Hopefully?"
Akinola looked grim. "Lieutenant, don't you think Commander Strauss would beam us back to the ship once communications were lost? Since we're still here, we can assume that something has affected the Bluefin as well. I've no doubt they're working as fast as they can to restore any systems that are off-line, just as we are."
Suddenly, the lights on the compact bridge flickered to life and the control consoles began to beep as power flowed once more.
Akinola stood, smiling for the first time in hours. "Nice work, Delta," he murmured.
He stepped to the multi-function operations console and activated the communications system. He adjusted the frequency and keyed the transmit control.
"Eku to Bluefin, come in please!"
The soft hiss of the open channel breathed through the speakers, but they received no reply. Akinola checked the comm-board, frowning.
"Everything appears to be functioning," he muttered. "They should be receiving us."
"Maybe their comm system is down," suggested Solly.
"Maybe," conceded the Captain. They all turned at the sound of steps on the ladder rungs and Delta Simms appeared suddenly, her freckled face somewhat pale and her expression flustered.
"Nice work getting the power back up," remarked Akinola.
"Captain, I didn't do it!" Simms said in a puzzled voice. "I was still looking for the reactor reset controls when the lights just . . . came on!"
"An auxiliary back-up system?" suggested Rune. Akinola shook his head, clearly non-plussed.
"No . . . Eku doesn't have auxiliary power like Bluefin. Just the emergency batteries," Akinola's eyes tracked upward to the power circuit controls. "Look at that . . ." he said, softly.
The others followed his gaze to the power busses. They were still locked in the open position. There was no way power should flow to the bridge unless they were in the closed position.
"Frak!" muttered Solly, who made a subtle Orion warding gesture. K'lira caught the gesture.
"I thought you didn't believe in that stuff," she said, derisively.
"K'lira, for once could you just . . ." Brin began.
"Not . . . now," rasped Akinola. He depressed a series of switches on the operations board.
The viewscreen came to life, diagnostic code scrolling down one side of the screen momentarily before the image stabilized and they were finally able to see outside the Eku.
Delta's eyes widened and she clasped her hands to her mouth.
"Oh God!" she whispered, imploringly. The others simply stared, speechless at the spectacle that met their eyes.
Instead of the Bluefin, six Borg cubes hung in space like dark mountains. The mere sight of the monstrous vessels unleashed a primal spark of fear in each of the small band.
No! thought Akinola, Not this!
* * *
Can I say, "Yikes!" or "Holy Borg Cubes, Batman!" You have a way of ratcheting up the tension and then ratcheting up again to yet another level. And it's looking like Inga is finding her inner starship captain--won't be long until Joseph might need a new XO...
Provided ol' Joe, Solly, and co. can find their way out of their current predicament without getting assimilated that is...
Provided ol' Joe, Solly, and co. can find their way out of their current predicament without getting assimilated that is...
Yeah, the Borg with Brin's skills and Akinola's tactical acumen. That would be bad.
"WE ARE THE BORG. YER GONNA FRAKKIN' DIE... SLOWLY. RESISTENCE IS FUTILE, BUT DON'T LET US STOP YOU. WE LIKE TO PLAY WITH OUR FOOD."
Yeah, the Borg with Brin's skills and Akinola's tactical acumen. That would be bad.
"WE ARE THE BORG. YER GONNA FRAKKIN' DIE... SLOWLY. RESISTENCE IS FUTILE, BUT DON'T LET US STOP YOU. WE LIKE TO PLAY WITH OUR FOOD."
I laughed so loud in the back office at work at this one--I was afraid they were going to come in there to see what was wrong!
I second all that's been said here. Can't wait to see how they get out of THIS one!!
Would have commented earlier but passed out - not because of any tri - wany thingy waves but pure edge of the seat tension and ... well ... more tension. Bloody great stuff!
Despite knowing the Borg had to show up it still smacks you when they actually do. Yikes is all that can be said! It is all just Sooooooooooooooooooo exciting!!
Despite knowing the Borg had to show up it still smacks you when they actually do. Yikes is all that can be said! It is all just Sooooooooooooooooooo exciting!!
Looks like Akinola and company will have a bit of a problem. Or six. But something else is happening here besides a sudden Borg appearance. Gralt is right, this isn't there MO. And the power magically coming on doesn't seem very Borg like either.
Darn good stuff. Looking forward to find out where it will lead.
Darn good stuff. Looking forward to find out where it will lead.
Similar threads
