Finding Each other

Posted on Wed Sep 30th, 2020 @ 8:04am by Lieutenant Sapphire Morgan [Lalor] & Lieutenant Commander S'hib & Lieutenant JG Miraj Derani & Lieutenant JG Ryan Kade III & Lieutenant JG T'Kek [Naxea]

Mission: SEASON 4: Episode 1: Know Thy Self!
Location: Arena Station
Timeline: MD01 1800 - 1900
2016 words - 4 OF Standard Post Measure

Sapphire and Miraj moved through the dark together looking for anyone.

Sapphire paused. "Do you hear that?" she asked softly. "Someone is coming this way."

Miraj's concentration had been on the ship, or station, trying to get the sense of any changes. She stopped dead in the corridor, trying to hear what the operations officer could hear. "Hide?" She wasn't sure where. There was no wear to hide.

Sapphire nodded but she knew they were screwed if this was someone they should not trust.

Ryan was beginning to pick up the pace, forgoing stealth after hearing the ominous loudspeaker announcement about dogs. Were they going to be hunted? For real?

He heard someone speaking in hushed tones from around the bend, halting in his tracks for a moment. His dark brown hair was a mess, his bangs hanging just over his eyes as he peeked around the corner.

The two Starfleet uniforms were a welcome sight. He sighed to himself in relief, showing his hands to make sure they didn’t react badly. “Hey.”

"Identify yourself" Sapphire stated, calmly stepping between Miraj and the newcomer

"Ensign Ryan Kade, security." He replied, his hands still up, "You probably don't know me, I'm always manning the brig."

Miraj was flooded with relief to meet someone who might know what to do when faced with hunting dogs. "Miraj, flight control," she offered. "Have you seen anyone else?"

The yellow uniformed young man turned his attention to Miraj, shaking his head. "You're the first I've seen." His right hand swept up over his forehead, combing the hair from his eyes as he explained, "I've been looking for supplies or weapons or anything useful. Right now, all I have is my pocket-tools and my knife. What about you?"

Miraj shook her head. "not a thing. Sorry."

"No, we were on the bridge when this happened." Sapphire said. "Nothing was able to be grabbed."

T'Kek moved at a quickened pace down the darkened corridor. His cell had opened after the announcement about hounds being released. Whoever these people were, they were indeed barbaric. He came to a intersection in the corridor and looked down each way, seeing that each was just as poorly lit as the others. He decided to proceed straight. He wondered how large this place was and if it was a planetary base, starbase or a ship. If was indeed a starship, where was the crew and with so many corridors, it would have to be a large ship. He soon stopped in his tracks as his hearing picked up talking several meters down. He pressed himself into the shadows as he stood still, listening to the voices. He deducted that one was male and two were female. Hearing the confusion and fear in their voices, T'Kek pressed forward at a slower, more cautious pace, as it was likely that the voices belonged to other prisoners. He spotted three silhouettes in the corridor. Looking closely, he was able to distinguish familiar Starfleet uniforms. "Greetings," he called out as he approached.

Sapphire tensed. "Hello? Please identify yourself?"

"Ensign T'Kek. I am a doctor aboard the Elysium," he introduced himself, now recognizing Ensign Derani from when he treated her injuries after the Away Mission to ancient Earth. "And who might you be?"

"I am Lt. Sapphire Morgan and this is Ensign Derani and Ensign Kade."

"A pleasure, lieutenant. I have met Ensign Derani on a previous occasion. I am glad to see you aren't hurt," T'Kek replied. "Do you know what's going on or where we are located?"

"As far as we know we are now in the Mirror universe" Sapphire said, "They kidnapped the captain and replaced her with her mirror. They were about to kill her. They beamed us here."

Miraj had taken off her boots again and was listening to the station again. The sense of the power was stronger, but like all stations it lacked...urgency. Stations were always awkward. Ships moved, and wanted to move. A ship holding steady was always trembling with the urge to dash away. Stations were just...zen... about it.

Zen was the last thing the young hybrid was feeling. She'd rather be in seventeenth century England. She'd felt safer and she'd known what was going on. "I don't think we're that far from the central core. We'll probably get there before they release these dogs they're talking about."

T'Kek took in the information that Sapphire had given him. He had heard about a darker parallel universe to his own. And apparently he, along with the crew of the Elysium were now in this darker universe. He turned to Miraj. "What is at the central core?" Surely she didn't mean the station's power source as he was certain that would be well defended.

Ryan chimed in, "Maybe we can worry about the core, later. Three hours isn't a lot of time, and I know a place where we can bunker down during the hunt. There's an empty medical room with a single entrance. I've already hotwired the door to open it, once. I can do it, again, to close it. You thinking those dogs can break down doors?"

Miraj shook her head. "I doubt it. Doors are really strong, they have to withstand explosions and all kinds of pressures."

"So.. lets go find us a room to hole up in." Sapphire said softly.

Miraj put her boots back on and looked at Ryan. "Lead the way?"

The security officer took notice of Miraj's scouting technique, a curious look on his face as she suited up, again. I might ask what that's all about, later. He thought, then turned towards the group.

"I can take you where I was if you're ready."

Miraj nodded. There was a different texture to the feel of the station, hatches were being battened, she was sure. "We should probably hurry."

"yeah that would be best." Sapphire said softly. "Lets not get caught out in the open."

They hurried after Ryan. Miraj nudged Sapphire. "It could be worse." She smiled, even though she didn't really feel it. "We got a nice vulcan, and someone who knows one end of a phaser from another," she said, recalling their earlier conversation. She looked up at the ceiling, as if invoking a higher power. "If we keep walking maybe we could find some phasers, a transporter pad, and a bottle of rum?"

"One can only hope" Sapphire said with a smile.

== Elsewhere on the station ==

His head hurt... No, everything hurt, S'hib thought as he lay there, where ever there was exactly. Had he forgotten how to open his eyes too? or was it just dark? "Well, this seems familiar..." He joked sarcastically to himself as he sat up, his eyes starting to adjust to the darkened corridor he found himself in, its decrepit features being briefly illuminated by a light that had long since expired from service.

"Red sands take me, I didn't get promoted for this nonsense..." He huffed as he dragged himself up off the floor.

== Arena Station ==

The group rounded a corner behind Ryan and Sapphire reached out and grabbed the Ensign hauling him back from the shape further up the hall. "Oh crap" she muttered.

S'hib frowned as he slowly turned, his hooves echoing down the corridors around them. "I imagine the fact you are all hiding around the corner means you aren't here to kill me?" S'hib snorted loudly before moving his hands up to his eyes. "Sadly..." He added, muttering quietly to himself as he rubbed his aching face.

T'Kek stepped forward as he studied the Sequus. "Are you injured?"

"Shib!" Miraj squealed, shoving forward to hug her friend. "You're alive! You're okay!" She looked to T'Kek looking for confirmation.

"Apparently," He smiled, wrapping an arm around Miraj in return. "Any of you know where we are, or whats going on? the last thing I remember I was getting shot at in security..."

"Fill him in Miraj, we need to keep moving!" Sapphire stated. "Ryan, in front lead the way. I'll take the rear."

T'Kek studied the Sequus' face, gently moving his hands, feeling the bone structure. "I believe you only have some bruising. Nothing appears to be broken."

The halls were empty.

Menacing was the disquiet that shivered through his body as he slowly led the way forward. With others to protect, he felt justified in pulling the knife from his boot, reversing it in his right hand.

As they approached the final bend in the maze of durasteel, Ryan held up a fist, signaling everyone to stop. He looked back at the group, whispering, "This is it. I'm going inside to secure the room."

A moment later, in the far distance, came a howl, long, excited. And then it was answered by more of the same.

"I don't care, everyone in!" Snapped Sapphire, "Now" she pushed Miraj in after Ryan and then waved S'hib and T'kek ahead of her.

"You first Lieutenant..." S'hib snorted, his ears at a attention as he walked back towards the door while peering into the darkness. "Let's get that door shut," He said lowly, not wanting to tell the group about the muffled screams he could hear echoing down the long halls.

Miraj quickly moved to the back to let everyone else in. At this point, if they weren't going anywhere, she was the least use. The others could think and plan, she would just do as she was told. The room was cramped, just three meters or so to a side. Hopefully that would make it more defendable if some dog did come sniffing.

Ryan waited at the entrance for everyone to get inside. While they moved inside, he fiddled with the wires, just as he did before. It was easy to find, as the wire he'd preveiously cut was the only one damaged. He grabbed each by the end, knowing that once they connected, the flow would shock him pretty bad. He didn't care.

A jolt went through him as he pinched and twisted the ends. it felt like his fingers were being soldered together, fire blasting his skin and white hot flashes blinded his vision.

The door suddenly pressurized and slammed shut. Ryan fell to his knees. "Guh!"

"Ensign that's the last thing you touch..." S'hib snorted, slyly closing the unpowered door the last few inches as everyone's attention fell to Ryan, wondering what to do now its locks wouldn't engage.

Sapphire stepped up to the door. "I will see what i can do. Everyone stay as still as you can. T'Kek check on Ryan please. Miraj, can you sense anything?"

Miraj stripped off her jacket and shirt to sit back against the bulkhead, with as as much bare skin as possible pressed to it to feel the station. There seemed to be less there. She wasnt sure if it was a real feeling, or wishful thinking. "Hard to tell. Its not as strong as before. They might have cut some power, somewhere." A thought occured to her. "Like the barriers on an animal pen, probably."

"If they needed forcefields to keep these dogs restrained, what makes you think this door will hold... especially since it's not locked." S'hib snorted, feeling it best to reveal the truth about their predicament.

Miraj had her eyes closed, head tipped back against the wall. Things felt better when she could feel the station. It wasn't a ship, but it still helped. "Except there's an over reliance on force fields when doors would do in our universe. Look at the brig," she nodded towards where Ryan was being treated. "I'm betting this universe is just as bad as ours. Also, I grew up exploring wrecks. I can tell you a smashed opening mechanism keeps doors shut just as securely. If we can jam it in such a way we can unjam it after, its as good as a lock."

"Lets do that then" Sapphire said.

A while later they all sat and listened to the sound of hounds outside their door. Howls would last all night.