With respect, impatience for more is getting the best of me....
Tales of the USS Bluefin - 9: "Ghost in the Machine"
- Thread starter TheLoneRedshirt
- Start date
Chapter Fourteen
Stardate 54259.8 (15 April 2377)
USS Scamp
Sector 04341 – Near the Lesser Riven nebula
Captain Boris Rodenko sipped his sweet, black tea while he waited for his operations officer to open a subspace channel to a ship many light-years distant. Though a proud man, Rodenko was wise enough to accept the limits of his own knowledge and experience. This situation, he had to admit, was far beyond his scope.
He gazed at the newly arrived USS Schuylkill which cruised slowly nearby. The sensor vessel reminded Rodenko of some bizarre deep-sea creature with bumps, spikes and protuberences that sprouted from its surface like tumors. He had little hope that the ungainly ship would help them recover his friends on the Eku.
His terminal chimed and the youthful face of the Beta shift ops-officer appeared.
"Sir, I've established contact with the Sutherland. Captain Shelby is standing by."
Rodenko placed his tea cup on his desk and nodded in acknowledgement. "Thank you, Ensign. Please patch Captain Shelby through to my terminal."
The image shifted and Ensign Filmore's visage was replaced by a strawberry-blond woman wearing captain's pips. Elizabeth Shelby smiled warmly, seated in her spacious ready room.
"Boris - this is a pleasant surprise! I know it's only been a short while since we parted ways but I've missed your handsome face."
Rodenko smiled in return, but the smile was weak and haggard. "As I have also missed you, Elizaveta. I only wish this were a social call, but we are in the middle of a perplexing situation and I thought, perhaps, you could shed some light, based on your past experience with the Borg.
Shelby's smile instantly faded and her eyes narrowed. "The Borg? What the hell have you gotten into, Boris?"
Rodenko sighed and related the events of the last two days, up to the disappearance of the Eku through the trans-warp conduit.
Captain Shelby knitted her brow in thought. "This doesn't sound at all like the Borg to me, Boris. They've never been circumspect in their approach - at least not in our encounters. While I admit the trans-warp conduit is in keeping with their technology, there's no reason to believe some other civilization hasn't also perfected it. My guess is you're dealing with something else. I wish I could be more helpful."
The Russian cutter commander nodded his head in resignation. "Thank you anyway, Betts. At the moment, we're just trying to figure out exactly what happened and how we can get our people back."
Shelby regarded her friend and sometime lover with a sympathetic gaze. "Look . . . Boris, you know all too well that Akinola and I, well . . . we just don't see eye to eye on a lot of things. But I do respect the old bastard and I sincerely hope you get him and the others back safely. Just don't tell him I said that when he returns!" She said the last with an impish grin.
Boris managed a sincere smile. "Da! - it will be our secret, Elizaveta. Thank you for your time and input."
"Anytime, Boris. I wish we were close enought to lend assistance, but we're two weeks away at maximum warp and it sounds like you've already got good people on the scene. Oh, and Boris?"
Rodenko raised a bushy eyebrow. "Yes, Elizaveta?"
She gave him a knowing look. "You'll find them. Somehow, someway, you'll get them back. Shelby, out."
The screen reverted to an image of the Border Service logo. Rodenko retrieved his tea cup and leaned back in his chair.
"I wished I shared your confidence, Betts," he murmurred.
* * *
Stardate - Unknown
SS Eku
Sector - Unknown
"Bio-neural readings? What the hell are you talking about?" demanded Akinola.
Castille slapped the medical tri-corder with the back of his hand, as if it has somehow offended him. "According to my scans, this ship is infested with many thousands of individual, unique bio-neural signatures. Somehow, they've become integrated with the ships systems - that's how the power came back on, I suppose."
Both Lt. Rune and Lt. Commander Simms had their own tri-corders out. Simms nodded her head in confimation.
"I can confirm there's some sort of multi-sourced energy phenomena that's providing power to our systems," she said, a note of wonder in her voice.
"Are you saying the Eku is possessed?" pressed the Captain.
The normally unflappable CMO looked distinctly uncomfortable with the question. "I don't know if I'd put it in quite those terms, Captain, but I am saying that every indication is that these signatures are intelligent."
"Great," muttered Solly, "the frakkin' ship's haunted!"
"Belay that crap, Senior Chief!" Akinola said, sternly. "The Federation has encountered other non-corporeal life-forms before. I am not ready to accept that we're possessed by . . . ghosts!"
"Call them whatever you like, Captain," continued Castille, "but for all practical purposes, they're in control of this ship!"
The Captain glowered momentarily at the Doctor before nodding his head in a grudging manner.
"Alright - you say they're intelligent? Then let's try to communicate with them. Maybe they know where we are and, more importantly, how we get back home!"
Castille blinked at Akinola. "How do you propose to communicate with them?"
Akinola hesitated. "I think they've already been trying to communicate . . . with me - through these strange visions I've been having."
Brin stepped up to the Captain and regarded him with burning yellow eyes. "Skipper, for all we know, these things may be hostile! We've been yanked to gods know where and we're surrounded by six frakkin' dead Borg cubes! These . . . bio-neutered . . . whatever might've offed the Borg!"
"Bio-neural," corrected Castille, automatically.
Solly ignored the CMO. "I'm just sayin' - they've already been frakkin' around in your head, Skipper. That doesn't seem too friendly to me!"
"Point well taken, Solly," replied Akinola, "but given our circumstances, I don't see another option. Do one of you have a better idea?"
Simms looked meaningfully at Castille and shrugged helplessly. K'lira Rune let out a breath and shook her head, earning a glower from Solly.
The Captain nodded. "That's what I thought."
Solly grabbed his arm, "Dammit, Joe!" he whispered where only the Captain could hear, "Don't risk it!"
Akinola favored his old camrade-in-arms with a crooked grin. "What's wrong, Solly - don't you believe in the old, "To boldy go," creedo?"
"That's 'Fleeter bullshit, Skipper. We're Border Dogs, not frakkin' tourists!" He relinquished his grip on Akinola's bicep, however, and took a grudging step backward.
Akinola turned to the others. "Keep your tri-corders running. If something happens to me, well . . . maybe you'll learn something that will get you home." He stepped to the middle of the bridge and cleared his throat nervously. "No time like the present, I suppose," he said, sotto voce.
"My name is Captain Joseph Akinola," he boomed, "if someone wants to communciate with me - I'm listening!"
He stood with his hands on his hips, waiting for several minutes. Nothing happened.
"So much for . . ."
FLASH
Akinola blinked, slightly dazed. He was still standing in the middle of the Eku's small bridge.
He was also alone.
"Solly? Doc?" he called out. His voice rang slightly in the space and echoed down the ladder that led below.
"Delta? Lt. Rune? Is anyone else on board?" Again, his voice reverberated through the cargo ship, but he received no answer.
Frustrated, he grabbed the back of one of the chairs - the firm, physical sensation of the worn upholstery in his grasp precluded the notion that this was a dream or vision.
Angrily, he raised his voice. "What the hell do you want? Speak to me, dammit! We don't want to be your enemies, but you sure aren't making any friends!"
A faint glow appeard by the operations panel as tendrils of energy began to weave together and coalesce into a form. Akinola watched with fascination as the glowing orb elongated and began to grow arms, legs and a head. The glow began to fade and the distinct form of a humanoid appeared, no - not just humanoid - human!
Akinola could scarcely breathe as the form suddenly looked up and gazed into his face with dark, brown eyes. The entity smiled and struck an easy posture.
"Hello, son," said the image of Samuel Akinola.
Captain Akinola's mouth was dry. "Who are you?" he asked, warily.
"I am . . . who I appear to be . . . and more," the apparition said, his tone warm and conversational.
Joseph shook his head slightly. "You could have easily come up with this . . . form through the ship's database."
Samuel Akinola nodded, as if in understanding. "My time is limited, Joseph. There are many of us here . . . not all want to help you . . ."
Joseph frowned. "Many of you? Help us? I don't understand - who, what are you?"
Samuel Akinola began to fade slightly and the glow reappeared.
"Wait!" entreated Joseph.
The glow morphed and another figure coalesced, smaller than the first, but equally familiar.
Joseph felt his jaw clench with emotion as the image of his mother, Sonari Akinola, appeared before him and smiled. It was a sad smile.
"Hello, Joey," she said, "Oh, I have longed to see you again!"
The Captain forced his emotions down. "You can stop the mind-games, because I'm not playing! Either give me some straight answers or leave us in peace!"
Sonari's smile didn't fade but became tighter. She cocked her head in a way that was all-too familiar to Joseph - it had been her way of indicating that he had said one thing too many! That gesture, more than anything she could have said, convinced him - this was his mother, or at least some remnant of her.
Apparently, Akinola's shocked expression was sufficient for the apparition of Sonari Akinola. Her smile softened and her head straightened.
"That's better, baby. I'm sorry, but there's so little time . . . here is what you must do."
* * *
Stardate 54259.8 (15 April 2377)
USS Scamp
Sector 04341 – Near the Lesser Riven nebula
Captain Boris Rodenko sipped his sweet, black tea while he waited for his operations officer to open a subspace channel to a ship many light-years distant. Though a proud man, Rodenko was wise enough to accept the limits of his own knowledge and experience. This situation, he had to admit, was far beyond his scope.
He gazed at the newly arrived USS Schuylkill which cruised slowly nearby. The sensor vessel reminded Rodenko of some bizarre deep-sea creature with bumps, spikes and protuberences that sprouted from its surface like tumors. He had little hope that the ungainly ship would help them recover his friends on the Eku.
His terminal chimed and the youthful face of the Beta shift ops-officer appeared.
"Sir, I've established contact with the Sutherland. Captain Shelby is standing by."
Rodenko placed his tea cup on his desk and nodded in acknowledgement. "Thank you, Ensign. Please patch Captain Shelby through to my terminal."
The image shifted and Ensign Filmore's visage was replaced by a strawberry-blond woman wearing captain's pips. Elizabeth Shelby smiled warmly, seated in her spacious ready room.
"Boris - this is a pleasant surprise! I know it's only been a short while since we parted ways but I've missed your handsome face."
Rodenko smiled in return, but the smile was weak and haggard. "As I have also missed you, Elizaveta. I only wish this were a social call, but we are in the middle of a perplexing situation and I thought, perhaps, you could shed some light, based on your past experience with the Borg.
Shelby's smile instantly faded and her eyes narrowed. "The Borg? What the hell have you gotten into, Boris?"
Rodenko sighed and related the events of the last two days, up to the disappearance of the Eku through the trans-warp conduit.
Captain Shelby knitted her brow in thought. "This doesn't sound at all like the Borg to me, Boris. They've never been circumspect in their approach - at least not in our encounters. While I admit the trans-warp conduit is in keeping with their technology, there's no reason to believe some other civilization hasn't also perfected it. My guess is you're dealing with something else. I wish I could be more helpful."
The Russian cutter commander nodded his head in resignation. "Thank you anyway, Betts. At the moment, we're just trying to figure out exactly what happened and how we can get our people back."
Shelby regarded her friend and sometime lover with a sympathetic gaze. "Look . . . Boris, you know all too well that Akinola and I, well . . . we just don't see eye to eye on a lot of things. But I do respect the old bastard and I sincerely hope you get him and the others back safely. Just don't tell him I said that when he returns!" She said the last with an impish grin.
Boris managed a sincere smile. "Da! - it will be our secret, Elizaveta. Thank you for your time and input."
"Anytime, Boris. I wish we were close enought to lend assistance, but we're two weeks away at maximum warp and it sounds like you've already got good people on the scene. Oh, and Boris?"
Rodenko raised a bushy eyebrow. "Yes, Elizaveta?"
She gave him a knowing look. "You'll find them. Somehow, someway, you'll get them back. Shelby, out."
The screen reverted to an image of the Border Service logo. Rodenko retrieved his tea cup and leaned back in his chair.
"I wished I shared your confidence, Betts," he murmurred.
* * *
Stardate - Unknown
SS Eku
Sector - Unknown
"Bio-neural readings? What the hell are you talking about?" demanded Akinola.
Castille slapped the medical tri-corder with the back of his hand, as if it has somehow offended him. "According to my scans, this ship is infested with many thousands of individual, unique bio-neural signatures. Somehow, they've become integrated with the ships systems - that's how the power came back on, I suppose."
Both Lt. Rune and Lt. Commander Simms had their own tri-corders out. Simms nodded her head in confimation.
"I can confirm there's some sort of multi-sourced energy phenomena that's providing power to our systems," she said, a note of wonder in her voice.
"Are you saying the Eku is possessed?" pressed the Captain.
The normally unflappable CMO looked distinctly uncomfortable with the question. "I don't know if I'd put it in quite those terms, Captain, but I am saying that every indication is that these signatures are intelligent."
"Great," muttered Solly, "the frakkin' ship's haunted!"
"Belay that crap, Senior Chief!" Akinola said, sternly. "The Federation has encountered other non-corporeal life-forms before. I am not ready to accept that we're possessed by . . . ghosts!"
"Call them whatever you like, Captain," continued Castille, "but for all practical purposes, they're in control of this ship!"
The Captain glowered momentarily at the Doctor before nodding his head in a grudging manner.
"Alright - you say they're intelligent? Then let's try to communicate with them. Maybe they know where we are and, more importantly, how we get back home!"
Castille blinked at Akinola. "How do you propose to communicate with them?"
Akinola hesitated. "I think they've already been trying to communicate . . . with me - through these strange visions I've been having."
Brin stepped up to the Captain and regarded him with burning yellow eyes. "Skipper, for all we know, these things may be hostile! We've been yanked to gods know where and we're surrounded by six frakkin' dead Borg cubes! These . . . bio-neutered . . . whatever might've offed the Borg!"
"Bio-neural," corrected Castille, automatically.
Solly ignored the CMO. "I'm just sayin' - they've already been frakkin' around in your head, Skipper. That doesn't seem too friendly to me!"
"Point well taken, Solly," replied Akinola, "but given our circumstances, I don't see another option. Do one of you have a better idea?"
Simms looked meaningfully at Castille and shrugged helplessly. K'lira Rune let out a breath and shook her head, earning a glower from Solly.
The Captain nodded. "That's what I thought."
Solly grabbed his arm, "Dammit, Joe!" he whispered where only the Captain could hear, "Don't risk it!"
Akinola favored his old camrade-in-arms with a crooked grin. "What's wrong, Solly - don't you believe in the old, "To boldy go," creedo?"
"That's 'Fleeter bullshit, Skipper. We're Border Dogs, not frakkin' tourists!" He relinquished his grip on Akinola's bicep, however, and took a grudging step backward.
Akinola turned to the others. "Keep your tri-corders running. If something happens to me, well . . . maybe you'll learn something that will get you home." He stepped to the middle of the bridge and cleared his throat nervously. "No time like the present, I suppose," he said, sotto voce.
"My name is Captain Joseph Akinola," he boomed, "if someone wants to communciate with me - I'm listening!"
He stood with his hands on his hips, waiting for several minutes. Nothing happened.
"So much for . . ."
FLASH
Akinola blinked, slightly dazed. He was still standing in the middle of the Eku's small bridge.
He was also alone.
"Solly? Doc?" he called out. His voice rang slightly in the space and echoed down the ladder that led below.
"Delta? Lt. Rune? Is anyone else on board?" Again, his voice reverberated through the cargo ship, but he received no answer.
Frustrated, he grabbed the back of one of the chairs - the firm, physical sensation of the worn upholstery in his grasp precluded the notion that this was a dream or vision.
Angrily, he raised his voice. "What the hell do you want? Speak to me, dammit! We don't want to be your enemies, but you sure aren't making any friends!"
A faint glow appeard by the operations panel as tendrils of energy began to weave together and coalesce into a form. Akinola watched with fascination as the glowing orb elongated and began to grow arms, legs and a head. The glow began to fade and the distinct form of a humanoid appeared, no - not just humanoid - human!
Akinola could scarcely breathe as the form suddenly looked up and gazed into his face with dark, brown eyes. The entity smiled and struck an easy posture.
"Hello, son," said the image of Samuel Akinola.
Captain Akinola's mouth was dry. "Who are you?" he asked, warily.
"I am . . . who I appear to be . . . and more," the apparition said, his tone warm and conversational.
Joseph shook his head slightly. "You could have easily come up with this . . . form through the ship's database."
Samuel Akinola nodded, as if in understanding. "My time is limited, Joseph. There are many of us here . . . not all want to help you . . ."
Joseph frowned. "Many of you? Help us? I don't understand - who, what are you?"
Samuel Akinola began to fade slightly and the glow reappeared.
"Wait!" entreated Joseph.
The glow morphed and another figure coalesced, smaller than the first, but equally familiar.
Joseph felt his jaw clench with emotion as the image of his mother, Sonari Akinola, appeared before him and smiled. It was a sad smile.
"Hello, Joey," she said, "Oh, I have longed to see you again!"
The Captain forced his emotions down. "You can stop the mind-games, because I'm not playing! Either give me some straight answers or leave us in peace!"
Sonari's smile didn't fade but became tighter. She cocked her head in a way that was all-too familiar to Joseph - it had been her way of indicating that he had said one thing too many! That gesture, more than anything she could have said, convinced him - this was his mother, or at least some remnant of her.
Apparently, Akinola's shocked expression was sufficient for the apparition of Sonari Akinola. Her smile softened and her head straightened.
"That's better, baby. I'm sorry, but there's so little time . . . here is what you must do."
* * *
Wow...either Akinola's really letting his guard down here, or he's taking a much-needed risk.
And "bio-neutered"...man, that made me laugh out loud! Considering they'd been de-bodied...
And "bio-neutered"...man, that made me laugh out loud! Considering they'd been de-bodied...
I thought you did a good job with the Liz/Boris scene--yeah, Liz and Joseph don't particularly get along very well with each other, but they do respect each other--when the two of them get together, I like to think of Liz as the rebellious teenage daughter and Joseph as the crotchety Old Man. 
I'm thinking that I'm getting an idea as to what might be going on here...but I'll hold my thoughts in check for now--you've got a habit of throwing some wickedly fun curve balls, so...we'll see whether I'm right or not...
Keep it coming!
I'm thinking that I'm getting an idea as to what might be going on here...but I'll hold my thoughts in check for now--you've got a habit of throwing some wickedly fun curve balls, so...we'll see whether I'm right or not...
Keep it coming!
That was brilliant. The interplay between all the characters was fantastic, and why is it that the Bluefin's crew never seem to catch a break. Can't they have an ordinary milk run for a change??
Ah, but you are predicting the theme ("catching a break") for my next story. We will discover that a break is not always a good thing. And that's all I'm gonna say 'bout that.
Chapter Fourteen
Stardate 54259.9 (15 April 2377)
USS Bluefin
Sector 04341 – Near the Lesser Riven nebula
Inga grimaced in her sleep, annoyed by the incessant chirping.
"Mama, there's a cricket in here," she muttered.
The chirping continued, unabated.
Strauss suddenly jerked awake, glancing around disoriented. She was still in the ready room - apparently she dozed off. The chirping was coming from the door enunciator.
Shaking her head and rubbing her face to wake herself fully, she called, "Come in!"
The door slid open and Nigel Bane walked in, carrying a PADD. He stopped and favored her with a puzzled grin.
"Inga?"
She waved him over, still rubbing her cheek which was numb from pressing against the desk. "Come on in - I was just resting my eyes."
"Uh-huh," he said with a widening smile. "You've got a little . . ." He gestured to her mouth.
Inga quickly brushed her sleeve against the side of her mouth, erasing the trace of drool that had trickled out while she dozed. "Oh - thanks!"
Bane's smile faded and his expression became concerned. "You're not doing anyone any good if you're exhausted. Why not get some rest? We'll contact you if anything comes up."
She took a deep breath and straightened in the chair. "Maybe later," she said, non-committally. "What's the latest from Captain V'dren?" she asked, referring to the Vulcan CO of the Schuylkill.
"They've placed sensor drones on the remaining three prodigal ships. Now we'll have fair warning if another trans-warp conduit forms. Aside from that, they haven't picked up any anomalies apart from the traces of the Eku's disappearance."
"So, we continue to circle and wait," remarked Inga, frustration evident in her voice.
"'Fraid so," he agreed. "Captain Rodenko is thinking of returning some of his people to the Finback if nothing else happens over the next few hours."
Strauss frowned. "But if this is all some Venus Fly-trap scenario, that might trigger another disappearance."
Bane nodded. "Yeah, there is that possibility. That's why he ordered us not to board any of the other ships."
Inga snorted - "His call, his responsibility - I get the picture." She stood and stretched, rolling her head around to loosen tense muscles.
Nigel walked up behind her and began to massage her neck.
"Ooooh, that feels good!" she said, smiling. How much do you charge by the hour?"
"Nah! I only work eight hour shifts," he said with a wink and a grin.
She turned and lifted up on her toes, encircling his neck with her arms and giving him a quick kiss. "Too bad we don't have eight hours," she sighed.
He kissed the top of her head, breathing in her delicate fragrance as he held her close. "Yeah, seems like time's in short supply these days." He gently moved her to arms length and peered into her eyes.
"As acting XO, I'm insisting that the acting CO get some rest or I'll have the acting CMO relieve you of duty!"
She shook her head, a small smile forming. "We don't have an acting CMO, you big goof!"
"Sure we do! Doc left the EMH in charge of sickbay. 'Doc Photon' and I have become as thick as thieves, so don't cross me!"
She held up her hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay. Have Lt. Sarnek take the conn for gamma shift. But I want to be notified the instant anything, and I mean anything,happens, you got it mister?"
Bane snapped off a jaunty salute that would have made his Royal Australian Navy ancestors proud. "Aye, aye Cap'n Strauss, sar!"
Inga's smile faded. "Let's leave the 'captain' off, Nigel. I just don't want to think that way right now."
* * *
Stardate - Unknown
SS Eku
Sector - Unknown
The apparition of Joseph Akinola's mother smiled, but her expression was sad.
"We don't have much time, Joey," she warned, "It is very difficult for us to appear to you like this . . . and we're growing weaker."
"Us? Who are you . . . all of you?"
That which was, and was not, Sonari Akinola closed her eyes as if gathering strength. Her image appeared to fade, then solidified. She nodded her head, as if agreeing with someone Akinola could neither see nor hear.
"You deserve an explanation, but it must be brief if you are to return back home." She hesitated and a look of pain and sorrow clouded her features. The expression tore at Joseph's heart.
"Mom . . ." he said, both in acknowledgment and concern.
"Hush, child. Don't interrupt . . . this is very hard," but her voice belied the small smile that again played on her lips in pleasure of hearing Joseph address her so.
She again opened her eyes. "We are . . . " She frowned and shook her head, "were . . . the Borg."
* * *
"What the hell?" exclaimed Solly. He moved forward with amazing speed, but the Captain was already gone.
"Where'd he go?" asked Castille, startled.
"O.C. - come look at this," exclaimed Delta. She was peering intently into her tri-corder.
Castille moved quickly by Simms' side. He gazed into her tri-corder, then glanced at his medical scanner, frowning in puzzlement.
"What?" queried Lt. Rune, still stunned by the Captain's abrupt disappearance.
"The Captain's bio-signs - they're still here!" announced Castille.
Solly whipped his head back and forth. "Why can't we see him?" he growled.
Delta fielded the question. "His bio-signs are present, but his quantum signature has shifted slightly - enough where he's no longer in our physical reality."
"Is he okay?" asked Rune.
Castille nodded. "Somehow, I can still read his life-signs. Everything appears normal. In fact, I would guess he's still in this room - just in a slightly different physical state."
"Yeah? So how do we get him back?" challenged Brin, his anger and frustration slipping through his tough facade.
Castille glanced at Delta before turning to Solly.
"I'm afraid I have no idea!"
"Maybe he got what he wanted," suggested K'lira, hopefully.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Solly demanded.
Rune's eyes flashed in anger at her adoptive father. "I'm talking about communication, Senior Chief!" she retorted. "Maybe the Captain finally found a way to talk to these entities - you could learn something from him!"
Solly opened his mouth to speak, but found he had no reply.
* * *
Stardate 54259.9 (15 April 2377)
USS Bluefin
Sector 04341 – Near the Lesser Riven nebula
Inga grimaced in her sleep, annoyed by the incessant chirping.
"Mama, there's a cricket in here," she muttered.
The chirping continued, unabated.
Strauss suddenly jerked awake, glancing around disoriented. She was still in the ready room - apparently she dozed off. The chirping was coming from the door enunciator.
Shaking her head and rubbing her face to wake herself fully, she called, "Come in!"
The door slid open and Nigel Bane walked in, carrying a PADD. He stopped and favored her with a puzzled grin.
"Inga?"
She waved him over, still rubbing her cheek which was numb from pressing against the desk. "Come on in - I was just resting my eyes."
"Uh-huh," he said with a widening smile. "You've got a little . . ." He gestured to her mouth.
Inga quickly brushed her sleeve against the side of her mouth, erasing the trace of drool that had trickled out while she dozed. "Oh - thanks!"
Bane's smile faded and his expression became concerned. "You're not doing anyone any good if you're exhausted. Why not get some rest? We'll contact you if anything comes up."
She took a deep breath and straightened in the chair. "Maybe later," she said, non-committally. "What's the latest from Captain V'dren?" she asked, referring to the Vulcan CO of the Schuylkill.
"They've placed sensor drones on the remaining three prodigal ships. Now we'll have fair warning if another trans-warp conduit forms. Aside from that, they haven't picked up any anomalies apart from the traces of the Eku's disappearance."
"So, we continue to circle and wait," remarked Inga, frustration evident in her voice.
"'Fraid so," he agreed. "Captain Rodenko is thinking of returning some of his people to the Finback if nothing else happens over the next few hours."
Strauss frowned. "But if this is all some Venus Fly-trap scenario, that might trigger another disappearance."
Bane nodded. "Yeah, there is that possibility. That's why he ordered us not to board any of the other ships."
Inga snorted - "His call, his responsibility - I get the picture." She stood and stretched, rolling her head around to loosen tense muscles.
Nigel walked up behind her and began to massage her neck.
"Ooooh, that feels good!" she said, smiling. How much do you charge by the hour?"
"Nah! I only work eight hour shifts," he said with a wink and a grin.
She turned and lifted up on her toes, encircling his neck with her arms and giving him a quick kiss. "Too bad we don't have eight hours," she sighed.
He kissed the top of her head, breathing in her delicate fragrance as he held her close. "Yeah, seems like time's in short supply these days." He gently moved her to arms length and peered into her eyes.
"As acting XO, I'm insisting that the acting CO get some rest or I'll have the acting CMO relieve you of duty!"
She shook her head, a small smile forming. "We don't have an acting CMO, you big goof!"
"Sure we do! Doc left the EMH in charge of sickbay. 'Doc Photon' and I have become as thick as thieves, so don't cross me!"
She held up her hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay. Have Lt. Sarnek take the conn for gamma shift. But I want to be notified the instant anything, and I mean anything,happens, you got it mister?"
Bane snapped off a jaunty salute that would have made his Royal Australian Navy ancestors proud. "Aye, aye Cap'n Strauss, sar!"
Inga's smile faded. "Let's leave the 'captain' off, Nigel. I just don't want to think that way right now."
* * *
Stardate - Unknown
SS Eku
Sector - Unknown
The apparition of Joseph Akinola's mother smiled, but her expression was sad.
"We don't have much time, Joey," she warned, "It is very difficult for us to appear to you like this . . . and we're growing weaker."
"Us? Who are you . . . all of you?"
That which was, and was not, Sonari Akinola closed her eyes as if gathering strength. Her image appeared to fade, then solidified. She nodded her head, as if agreeing with someone Akinola could neither see nor hear.
"You deserve an explanation, but it must be brief if you are to return back home." She hesitated and a look of pain and sorrow clouded her features. The expression tore at Joseph's heart.
"Mom . . ." he said, both in acknowledgment and concern.
"Hush, child. Don't interrupt . . . this is very hard," but her voice belied the small smile that again played on her lips in pleasure of hearing Joseph address her so.
She again opened her eyes. "We are . . . " She frowned and shook her head, "were . . . the Borg."
* * *
"What the hell?" exclaimed Solly. He moved forward with amazing speed, but the Captain was already gone.
"Where'd he go?" asked Castille, startled.
"O.C. - come look at this," exclaimed Delta. She was peering intently into her tri-corder.
Castille moved quickly by Simms' side. He gazed into her tri-corder, then glanced at his medical scanner, frowning in puzzlement.
"What?" queried Lt. Rune, still stunned by the Captain's abrupt disappearance.
"The Captain's bio-signs - they're still here!" announced Castille.
Solly whipped his head back and forth. "Why can't we see him?" he growled.
Delta fielded the question. "His bio-signs are present, but his quantum signature has shifted slightly - enough where he's no longer in our physical reality."
"Is he okay?" asked Rune.
Castille nodded. "Somehow, I can still read his life-signs. Everything appears normal. In fact, I would guess he's still in this room - just in a slightly different physical state."
"Yeah? So how do we get him back?" challenged Brin, his anger and frustration slipping through his tough facade.
Castille glanced at Delta before turning to Solly.
"I'm afraid I have no idea!"
"Maybe he got what he wanted," suggested K'lira, hopefully.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Solly demanded.
Rune's eyes flashed in anger at her adoptive father. "I'm talking about communication, Senior Chief!" she retorted. "Maybe the Captain finally found a way to talk to these entities - you could learn something from him!"
Solly opened his mouth to speak, but found he had no reply.
* * *
Gah! More! Quickly!
Yeah! It looks like you know where you are going-so its just a matter of writing it out-right? *taps toe-tap.tap.tap.tap.*
Borg Ghosts, eh? Or something of that nature.
Akinola is getting one shock after the other on this mission. Not only did he re-discover his old ship in exactly the state he had left it, now he has a reunion with his folks to boot. Things can hardly get any more weird. Having said that, they probably will.
A lot of great stuff, both with Akinola & Co as well as with Strauss and Bane. Also, nice touch with the Shelby cameo.
Akinola is getting one shock after the other on this mission. Not only did he re-discover his old ship in exactly the state he had left it, now he has a reunion with his folks to boot. Things can hardly get any more weird. Having said that, they probably will.
A lot of great stuff, both with Akinola & Co as well as with Strauss and Bane. Also, nice touch with the Shelby cameo.
That was a little short.
You really don't want me doing my Oliver Twist impression...
You really don't want me doing my Oliver Twist impression...
Powerful. This has to be gut-wrenching for ol' Joe and I have a feeling a similar experience might await Boris. Also liked the scene between Inga and Nigel--they're rapidly becoming a favorite couple.
Chapter Fifteen
Stardate 54260.0 (16 April 2377)
USS Scamp
Sector 04341 – Near the Lesser Riven nebula
"Captain, please! Won't you reconsider?" Commander Ronata Vribb was obviously distressed to see Rodenko lead the away team back to the Finback.
Boris stepped onto the transporter dais, joining the chief engineer, Lt. Commander Slevon and two other engineers. He favored the Bolian XO with a strained smile. Lack of sleep and worry over his friends had left him in a testy mood.
"Your objection is both noted and appreciated, Commander," he replied in his thick Russian accent. "But now is not the time for sentimentality. I am most familiar with the Finback and Commander Slevon and his men are best suited to assist me in accessing the ship's database."
"Sir," she continued with typical Bolian stubborness, "starfleet regulation number . . ."
". . . is subject to overrule by the commanding officer under extenuating circumstances," Rodenko finished. "I'm quite aware of the regulations, Commander. You may submit a formal protest if you wish, but I am going over to that ship!"
Ronata wilted slightly. "I won't do that, sir. But I still think it's a mistake for anyone to set foot on those ships - we still don't know what happened to the Eku."
"That's precisely why we must go back!" retorted Rodenko, his patience worn to a bare thread. "We've discovered nothing by creeping along with our sensors. The Schuylkill has turned up nothing useful, nor have their sensor drones. Now, please return to the bridge, Commander, I don't have time to argue with you."
Vribb stiffened and her blue face turned a shade of lavendar, but she nodded in acquiescence and left the transporter room.
Composing himself, Rodenko took his place by Slevon, who raised an eyebrow but wisely said nothing.
"Energize" ordered the Captain, sharply.
* * *
Stardate - Unknown
SS Eku
Sector - Unknown
Castille rubbed his chin as he tried to figure out how to operate the unfamiliar coffee maker.
"Computer, activate coffee machine," he stated.
A sudden giggle behind him caused him to turn. Delta Simms was regarding him with a mix of affection and amusement.
"You didn't just talk to the coffee maker!" she said, and began to laugh again.
Feeling foolish but not quite sure why, he folded his arms and gestured at the device. "Let's see you do any better!" he responded, grumpily.
Still smiling, Delta walked over to the coffee maker and pulled out the battered steel caraffe. She filled it with water from the sink, then looked in the overhead cabinet. Finding a pouch of coffee, she opened it and poured the contents into the filter basket of the machine.
Castille watched in puzzled fascination as Delta poured the water from the caraffe into the coffee maker's reservoir, then pushed a switch. A red diode began to glow and the little coffee maker soon rumbled to life, filling the galley with the inviting aroma of freshly-brewed coffee.
Forgetting his irritation, Castille looked at Delta with admiration.
"How did you know how to do that?" he asked.
She smiled, hazel eyes twinkling. "My Dad's hunting camp had one like this. No replicators in the woods near Sylacauga, Alabama," she said.
"You actually hunted? Live animals? With weapons?" Castille's astonishment caused Delta to laugh again.
"Well sure! 'Course, we don't use rocks or spears any more. Neural disruptors are used by hunters back home - it's quick and painless to the deer we harvest."
"It still seems . . . well, kind of barbaric!" he blurted.
Delta pulled two mugs from off a shelf. "Sweetie, you've always lived in the city. I'm a country girl. Hunting's always been a part of my way of life. We have to thin the deer herd each year or their population grows beyond the land's ability to support them. Then, the deer die off due to disease or malnutrition. Believe me, managed hunting is much more humane."
Castille still looked doubtful. "But still . . . to kill innocent creatures . . ."
Delta poured coffee into the mugs. "O.C. - there's been a debate over hunting for five hundred years. It doesn't bother me if you're against it - just don't expect me to change my ways, okay?" Her eyes were still warm and friendly, but there was a hint of flintiness there as well.
He took a sip of the coffee, surprised at how good it was. He grinned at her.
"Are all the girls in Alabama like you?"
"Me? Shoot, I'm just a typical southern gal, O.C. We're all just sweetness 'n light."
"I just bet you are," he said, earning a punch in the arm.
* * *
Solly and K'lira regarded each other warily across the Eku's bridge. Solly had no doubt that Commander Simms had intentionally left them with bridge duty so they could 'resolve their differences.'"
K'lira remained focused on her tri-corder, trying to track the Captain's whereabouts. Thus far, his life-signs remained on the bridge. Solly hoped that he'd soon return from his tet-a-tet. If he returned.
He leaned back in the helm chair, arms folded, and brooded about the young woman who sat a few meters away. It was hard to believe there was a time they had been very close. Those days seemed like another life-time.
"You still got a lock on the Skipper?" he asked. He wasn't sure why he asked the question, other than the silence was beginning to grate on his nerves.
She cocked an eyebrow at him. "I do know how to use this, Senior Chief. If I'd lost his signature, you would know it."
Brin blew out a breath in frustration. "Is that how it's going to be, K'lira? Do you just have to smart off at me at every opportunity."
Rune uttered a sarcastic bark of laughter. "I don't believe this! You are actually playing the indignant father?!" she shook her head. "Simply unbelievable."
Solly rose suddenly, feeling both frustrated, angry, and . . . yes, a little afraid. "Just what is wrong, K'lira? Huh? What - is - wrong?"
She drew herself up and gazed at him, her emerald eyes burning with unfettered emotion.
"How dare you even ask me that!" she hissed. "Where were you when I needed you seven years ago? Huh? Where. Were. You?!" Her chest heaved and tears threatened to spill from her eyes.
The sudden eruption of enraged indignation caused Solly to take a step back. He felt like he'd been hit in the gut with a heavy stun round.
He swallowed. "K'lira - I couldn't speak on your behalf at the inquest . . . I wasn't present when . . ."
"That's not what I meant!" Her anguish was pouring out now, the initial tears had unleashed a torrent of repressed grief and hurt. "I knew you couldn't testify, I'm not stupid! But you could at least have showed up! Every day for ten days I sat in the chamber, grilled by the brass and guard-house lawyers. Every day, I thought you would come, just . . . to be there for me - like you always were when I was a kid."
Solly stood silently, allowing the accusations to hit him and sink in, like barbs from arrows. He didn't try to defend himself.
He couldn't. Everything she was saying was true.
She glared at him, her chest still heaving. "Well? Aren't you going to say something? Or are you going to just be tough and silent - like you were then?"
"I was wrong."
She frowned at him. "What? You were wrong?" She uttered another short, harsh laugh. "Is that supposed to be some sort of explanation?"
He forced himself to stare into the inferno of her gaze and took a step forward. "Just so we're straight on one thing, K'lira . . . I've always been very proud of you. That has never changed!"
Her expression was still hurt but also confused. "What . . . what is that supposed to mean? How can you even say that, after my court martial!"
"I'm not saying you were innocent or guilty - I didn't see it go down. You did what you did for a shipmate - I understand that, might've done it myself." He frowned, frustrated at how difficult it was to express himself to her.
For her part, K'lira seemed willing to let him speak his mind. She continued to glare at him with crossed arms, but she didn't interrupt.
"I'm a strong guy - always have been. I had to be, just to survive as a kid - you know a little about that too. I've learned to set aside physical pain, learned how to get inside my enemy's head to out-think and out-fight 'em. I've seen men and women die - a few in my arms. And I've killed too. Too many times to remember. If there's a worse place than Verex IV waiting for me when I die, well - so be it. I don't regret what I've done for the service."
He took a breath and swallowed. For a moment, there was no sound on the bridge except for the slight hum of the environmental system and the steady beep from the scanner. K'lira's expression was unreadable, but she listened intently.
"But, I will always regret not standing by you."
She continued to gaze inflinchingly at him. "You still haven't told me why you avoided me," she said, quietly.
There was a pause before Solly answered. "I was afraid."
She frowned in puzzlement.
"I was afraid . . . to see them hurt you, to judge you. I'm not sure . . . that I could have controlled myself. If I had been there . . . I honestly don't know what I would have done."
She continued her gaze, nodding slightly. "Look," she began, "Um, could you just . . . leave the bridge for now. I can't handle being around you right now and I still need to . . ." She gestured to the tri-corder.
He held his gaze a few moments longer, then nodded slightly and headed slowly for the ladder. He hesitated, "K'lira . . ."
She held up a hand and sat at the Ops station, turning away from him. "Please. Just . . . go."
* * *
The apparition that was and was not Sonari Akinola again closed her eyes and grimaced, as if in pain or great concentration.
Joseph Akinola felt sickened. He tried to push away the thought that his parents and his uncle and aunt had been assimilated, enslaved by the Borg. He didn't notice that his fists were tightly clenched and trembling.
"Tell me what you can," he said in a raspy voice.
She opened her eyes. "I will show you," she said.
FLASH
Suddenly, images began to pour into Akinola's eyes - scenes from his very early childhood, the family's rare trips to Nigeria, piloting the Eku under his father's watchful eye, meals together, and . . .
FLASH
Joseph was in the escape pod in which his mother had placed him and his little sister so long ago. Except, he was his sixty-year old self. Melody was not there, but his mother stood by him, looking exactly as she had that fateful day.
You remember what happened. He heard her voice in his mind and he nodded.
We didn't know who . . . what they were at first. Your father knew they were dangerous though. That cube was hundreds of times larger than any ship we'd ever encountered. He told me to get you and Melody into the escape pod, which I did. But this time, I knew . . . just knew, I'd never see you again.
Akinola turned to face his mother. She still stood by him, but now her face was a pale gray, dark implants dug into her flesh and an optical device glowed a menacing red. A tear flowed from the remaining eye of his mother - the Borg drone.
I will not tell you all that happened to us. Some things, you just don't need to know, son. Suffice it to say, the Borg captured our ship in some sort of tractor beam - several of them materialized on the Eku. Your father and your Uncle Robert tried to fight them off. They hit two of the drones with pulse rounds before . . . well, they overcame us quickly. They took us on their ship. I was paralyzed, couldn't move as they . . . changed us. We became part of the collective. Time passed . . . how long, I cannot say. A small part of me was aware, but I was trapped in my own mind - a prisoner of the collective.
FLASH
Akinola and his mother stood inside one of the vast Borg cubes, perhaps the same one he had "visited" in a previous vision.
If this is a vision. he thought, wryly. His mother once more appeared as her normal self. He was relieved not to see her ensconsed in the accursed Borg appliances.
Akinola finally found his voice. "What happened to you and to the . . . others." he couldn't bring himself to say, "Borg."
She nodded and looked at the distant regeneration chambers. A look akin to regret crossed her dark features.
We assimilated many beings and added their essence to serve the collective. Akinola shivered slightly, hearing such words come from his mother - even if the words were only in his mind.
One day, we encountered a new species. They called themselves the V'Griid . . . They tried to resist, but resistance is futile.
Or so we believed.
* * *
Stardate 54260.0 (16 April 2377)
USS Scamp
Sector 04341 – Near the Lesser Riven nebula
"Captain, please! Won't you reconsider?" Commander Ronata Vribb was obviously distressed to see Rodenko lead the away team back to the Finback.
Boris stepped onto the transporter dais, joining the chief engineer, Lt. Commander Slevon and two other engineers. He favored the Bolian XO with a strained smile. Lack of sleep and worry over his friends had left him in a testy mood.
"Your objection is both noted and appreciated, Commander," he replied in his thick Russian accent. "But now is not the time for sentimentality. I am most familiar with the Finback and Commander Slevon and his men are best suited to assist me in accessing the ship's database."
"Sir," she continued with typical Bolian stubborness, "starfleet regulation number . . ."
". . . is subject to overrule by the commanding officer under extenuating circumstances," Rodenko finished. "I'm quite aware of the regulations, Commander. You may submit a formal protest if you wish, but I am going over to that ship!"
Ronata wilted slightly. "I won't do that, sir. But I still think it's a mistake for anyone to set foot on those ships - we still don't know what happened to the Eku."
"That's precisely why we must go back!" retorted Rodenko, his patience worn to a bare thread. "We've discovered nothing by creeping along with our sensors. The Schuylkill has turned up nothing useful, nor have their sensor drones. Now, please return to the bridge, Commander, I don't have time to argue with you."
Vribb stiffened and her blue face turned a shade of lavendar, but she nodded in acquiescence and left the transporter room.
Composing himself, Rodenko took his place by Slevon, who raised an eyebrow but wisely said nothing.
"Energize" ordered the Captain, sharply.
* * *
Stardate - Unknown
SS Eku
Sector - Unknown
Castille rubbed his chin as he tried to figure out how to operate the unfamiliar coffee maker.
"Computer, activate coffee machine," he stated.
A sudden giggle behind him caused him to turn. Delta Simms was regarding him with a mix of affection and amusement.
"You didn't just talk to the coffee maker!" she said, and began to laugh again.
Feeling foolish but not quite sure why, he folded his arms and gestured at the device. "Let's see you do any better!" he responded, grumpily.
Still smiling, Delta walked over to the coffee maker and pulled out the battered steel caraffe. She filled it with water from the sink, then looked in the overhead cabinet. Finding a pouch of coffee, she opened it and poured the contents into the filter basket of the machine.
Castille watched in puzzled fascination as Delta poured the water from the caraffe into the coffee maker's reservoir, then pushed a switch. A red diode began to glow and the little coffee maker soon rumbled to life, filling the galley with the inviting aroma of freshly-brewed coffee.
Forgetting his irritation, Castille looked at Delta with admiration.
"How did you know how to do that?" he asked.
She smiled, hazel eyes twinkling. "My Dad's hunting camp had one like this. No replicators in the woods near Sylacauga, Alabama," she said.
"You actually hunted? Live animals? With weapons?" Castille's astonishment caused Delta to laugh again.
"Well sure! 'Course, we don't use rocks or spears any more. Neural disruptors are used by hunters back home - it's quick and painless to the deer we harvest."
"It still seems . . . well, kind of barbaric!" he blurted.
Delta pulled two mugs from off a shelf. "Sweetie, you've always lived in the city. I'm a country girl. Hunting's always been a part of my way of life. We have to thin the deer herd each year or their population grows beyond the land's ability to support them. Then, the deer die off due to disease or malnutrition. Believe me, managed hunting is much more humane."
Castille still looked doubtful. "But still . . . to kill innocent creatures . . ."
Delta poured coffee into the mugs. "O.C. - there's been a debate over hunting for five hundred years. It doesn't bother me if you're against it - just don't expect me to change my ways, okay?" Her eyes were still warm and friendly, but there was a hint of flintiness there as well.
He took a sip of the coffee, surprised at how good it was. He grinned at her.
"Are all the girls in Alabama like you?"
"Me? Shoot, I'm just a typical southern gal, O.C. We're all just sweetness 'n light."
"I just bet you are," he said, earning a punch in the arm.
* * *
Solly and K'lira regarded each other warily across the Eku's bridge. Solly had no doubt that Commander Simms had intentionally left them with bridge duty so they could 'resolve their differences.'"
K'lira remained focused on her tri-corder, trying to track the Captain's whereabouts. Thus far, his life-signs remained on the bridge. Solly hoped that he'd soon return from his tet-a-tet. If he returned.
He leaned back in the helm chair, arms folded, and brooded about the young woman who sat a few meters away. It was hard to believe there was a time they had been very close. Those days seemed like another life-time.
"You still got a lock on the Skipper?" he asked. He wasn't sure why he asked the question, other than the silence was beginning to grate on his nerves.
She cocked an eyebrow at him. "I do know how to use this, Senior Chief. If I'd lost his signature, you would know it."
Brin blew out a breath in frustration. "Is that how it's going to be, K'lira? Do you just have to smart off at me at every opportunity."
Rune uttered a sarcastic bark of laughter. "I don't believe this! You are actually playing the indignant father?!" she shook her head. "Simply unbelievable."
Solly rose suddenly, feeling both frustrated, angry, and . . . yes, a little afraid. "Just what is wrong, K'lira? Huh? What - is - wrong?"
She drew herself up and gazed at him, her emerald eyes burning with unfettered emotion.
"How dare you even ask me that!" she hissed. "Where were you when I needed you seven years ago? Huh? Where. Were. You?!" Her chest heaved and tears threatened to spill from her eyes.
The sudden eruption of enraged indignation caused Solly to take a step back. He felt like he'd been hit in the gut with a heavy stun round.
He swallowed. "K'lira - I couldn't speak on your behalf at the inquest . . . I wasn't present when . . ."
"That's not what I meant!" Her anguish was pouring out now, the initial tears had unleashed a torrent of repressed grief and hurt. "I knew you couldn't testify, I'm not stupid! But you could at least have showed up! Every day for ten days I sat in the chamber, grilled by the brass and guard-house lawyers. Every day, I thought you would come, just . . . to be there for me - like you always were when I was a kid."
Solly stood silently, allowing the accusations to hit him and sink in, like barbs from arrows. He didn't try to defend himself.
He couldn't. Everything she was saying was true.
She glared at him, her chest still heaving. "Well? Aren't you going to say something? Or are you going to just be tough and silent - like you were then?"
"I was wrong."
She frowned at him. "What? You were wrong?" She uttered another short, harsh laugh. "Is that supposed to be some sort of explanation?"
He forced himself to stare into the inferno of her gaze and took a step forward. "Just so we're straight on one thing, K'lira . . . I've always been very proud of you. That has never changed!"
Her expression was still hurt but also confused. "What . . . what is that supposed to mean? How can you even say that, after my court martial!"
"I'm not saying you were innocent or guilty - I didn't see it go down. You did what you did for a shipmate - I understand that, might've done it myself." He frowned, frustrated at how difficult it was to express himself to her.
For her part, K'lira seemed willing to let him speak his mind. She continued to glare at him with crossed arms, but she didn't interrupt.
"I'm a strong guy - always have been. I had to be, just to survive as a kid - you know a little about that too. I've learned to set aside physical pain, learned how to get inside my enemy's head to out-think and out-fight 'em. I've seen men and women die - a few in my arms. And I've killed too. Too many times to remember. If there's a worse place than Verex IV waiting for me when I die, well - so be it. I don't regret what I've done for the service."
He took a breath and swallowed. For a moment, there was no sound on the bridge except for the slight hum of the environmental system and the steady beep from the scanner. K'lira's expression was unreadable, but she listened intently.
"But, I will always regret not standing by you."
She continued to gaze inflinchingly at him. "You still haven't told me why you avoided me," she said, quietly.
There was a pause before Solly answered. "I was afraid."
She frowned in puzzlement.
"I was afraid . . . to see them hurt you, to judge you. I'm not sure . . . that I could have controlled myself. If I had been there . . . I honestly don't know what I would have done."
She continued her gaze, nodding slightly. "Look," she began, "Um, could you just . . . leave the bridge for now. I can't handle being around you right now and I still need to . . ." She gestured to the tri-corder.
He held his gaze a few moments longer, then nodded slightly and headed slowly for the ladder. He hesitated, "K'lira . . ."
She held up a hand and sat at the Ops station, turning away from him. "Please. Just . . . go."
* * *
The apparition that was and was not Sonari Akinola again closed her eyes and grimaced, as if in pain or great concentration.
Joseph Akinola felt sickened. He tried to push away the thought that his parents and his uncle and aunt had been assimilated, enslaved by the Borg. He didn't notice that his fists were tightly clenched and trembling.
"Tell me what you can," he said in a raspy voice.
She opened her eyes. "I will show you," she said.
FLASH
Suddenly, images began to pour into Akinola's eyes - scenes from his very early childhood, the family's rare trips to Nigeria, piloting the Eku under his father's watchful eye, meals together, and . . .
FLASH
Joseph was in the escape pod in which his mother had placed him and his little sister so long ago. Except, he was his sixty-year old self. Melody was not there, but his mother stood by him, looking exactly as she had that fateful day.
You remember what happened. He heard her voice in his mind and he nodded.
We didn't know who . . . what they were at first. Your father knew they were dangerous though. That cube was hundreds of times larger than any ship we'd ever encountered. He told me to get you and Melody into the escape pod, which I did. But this time, I knew . . . just knew, I'd never see you again.
Akinola turned to face his mother. She still stood by him, but now her face was a pale gray, dark implants dug into her flesh and an optical device glowed a menacing red. A tear flowed from the remaining eye of his mother - the Borg drone.
I will not tell you all that happened to us. Some things, you just don't need to know, son. Suffice it to say, the Borg captured our ship in some sort of tractor beam - several of them materialized on the Eku. Your father and your Uncle Robert tried to fight them off. They hit two of the drones with pulse rounds before . . . well, they overcame us quickly. They took us on their ship. I was paralyzed, couldn't move as they . . . changed us. We became part of the collective. Time passed . . . how long, I cannot say. A small part of me was aware, but I was trapped in my own mind - a prisoner of the collective.
FLASH
Akinola and his mother stood inside one of the vast Borg cubes, perhaps the same one he had "visited" in a previous vision.
If this is a vision. he thought, wryly. His mother once more appeared as her normal self. He was relieved not to see her ensconsed in the accursed Borg appliances.
Akinola finally found his voice. "What happened to you and to the . . . others." he couldn't bring himself to say, "Borg."
She nodded and looked at the distant regeneration chambers. A look akin to regret crossed her dark features.
We assimilated many beings and added their essence to serve the collective. Akinola shivered slightly, hearing such words come from his mother - even if the words were only in his mind.
One day, we encountered a new species. They called themselves the V'Griid . . . They tried to resist, but resistance is futile.
Or so we believed.
* * *
Last edited:
Sure we're getting a very cool explanation as to what's going on. Sure we learn about a new race possibly more powerful than even the Borg.
But the real story here is K'lira and Solly finally talking to each other and in doing so, Solly finally revealing why he couldn't be there for her when she needed him the most. A very touching moment and quite believable. It just might take K'lira some time to understand and get to grips with it ... and to get over the festering apathy that she has built up for Solly over the years.
Beautifully written. Oh yeah, and O.C. and Southern Gal were fun too.
But the real story here is K'lira and Solly finally talking to each other and in doing so, Solly finally revealing why he couldn't be there for her when she needed him the most. A very touching moment and quite believable. It just might take K'lira some time to understand and get to grips with it ... and to get over the festering apathy that she has built up for Solly over the years.
Beautifully written. Oh yeah, and O.C. and Southern Gal were fun too.
Incredible piece of writing.
A lot of good meat here. I liked the scene between Delta and Castille--there's nothing like a down home country-girl--they can sweet talk you like nothing else, bake the world's greatest blueberry pie, talk to you about anything and everything under the sun, cut you down to size with a single word and a smile, and down a buck at 200 meters with a single shot! Don't mess with country-girls! Solly and K'liira also had a much needed air clearing--Solly coming clean and admitting his all too mortal weakness and K'liira having to do some serious thinking--and maybe some forgiving.
And the scene with Joseph and his mother...very powerful and moving. Also, most foreboding..V'griid--why do I get a very bad feeling here...
And now it's looking like Boris is about to go into a crucible of his own...
And the scene with Joseph and his mother...very powerful and moving. Also, most foreboding..V'griid--why do I get a very bad feeling here...
And now it's looking like Boris is about to go into a crucible of his own...
Very, VERY nice, very emotional scenes between Solly and K'lira--and I really hope that eventually they can come to terms with each other.
And the Borg mystery continues. Poor Joseph...even if he gets some closure from knowing what happened, by the end of this, he's going to have to cope with the fact that his parents spent years as Borg. Not a nice thought at all.
Final question, though--I MUST ask! What is Delta's alma mater? Auburn or Alabama? Or if she went to Starfleet Academy, which of those teams is she a fan of? That close to Auburn, it had better be the Tigers! It's like a rule...once you cross into the state of Alabama, you cannot be neutral--you must declare!
And the Borg mystery continues. Poor Joseph...even if he gets some closure from knowing what happened, by the end of this, he's going to have to cope with the fact that his parents spent years as Borg. Not a nice thought at all.
Final question, though--I MUST ask! What is Delta's alma mater? Auburn or Alabama? Or if she went to Starfleet Academy, which of those teams is she a fan of? That close to Auburn, it had better be the Tigers! It's like a rule...once you cross into the state of Alabama, you cannot be neutral--you must declare!
Terrific stuff, as always!
Wonderful character-growing scenes all around, most especially showing us some chinks in Solly’s emotional armor. The fact that he stayed away, not because he didn’t care, but that he cared too much. K'lira’s reaction was as heartfelt as it was heartbreaking.
Very nicely done.
Wonderful character-growing scenes all around, most especially showing us some chinks in Solly’s emotional armor. The fact that he stayed away, not because he didn’t care, but that he cared too much. K'lira’s reaction was as heartfelt as it was heartbreaking.
Very nicely done.
Final question, though--I MUST ask! What is Delta's alma mater? Auburn or Alabama? Or if she went to Starfleet Academy, which of those teams is she a fan of? That close to Auburn, it had better be the Tigers! It's like a rule...once you cross into the state of Alabama, you cannot be neutral--you must declare!
Sorry to disappoint you, but Delta went to Alabama for a couple of years before receiving an appointment to Starfleet Academy. You're right, though - neutrality is NOT an option - you must declare!
It almost broke her Dad's heart! (John Simms is an Auburn grad, as are three of her four older brothers.) She followed in her mother's footsteps by going to Tuscaloosa.
Similar threads
