Shipbound.

Posted on Sat Dec 4th, 2021 @ 12:52am by Lieutenant Vise [Sthilg] Kesahl & Captain Garrett Lovejoy [ Taylor] & Captain Gary Taylor & Lieutenant Commander Alicia Kelea-Salik & Commodore Phoenix Lalor-Richardson & Lieutenant JG Heather De La Rosa {Kelea-Salik} & Senior Chief Petty Officer Emily Charles {Kelea-Salik}

Mission: Season 5: Episode 3: CAPETOWN
Location: USS Elysium
2354 words - 4.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Vise keep monitoring the away team's life signs until the two runabouts had disappeared into the planet's atmosphere. They'd need to monitor them from com badges for now.

"Elysium, Valkyrie.. Well, we've got them planetside. But there's absolutely nothing happening in this entire system. I think they're going to just check out a deserted planet, find nothing, and call it a day." Jess stated to Lovejoy. "Talk about a BOREX, sir. Mind if I take the newest batch of pilot cadets out for training?" (Pilot slang for: Boring Exercise.)

Garrett chucked softly at Jess's observation but he had to agree it was spot on. "Go ahead Commander, have fun but not too much and whatever you do, don't stir up any trouble."

Alicia was sitting in her seat, it felt odd not to be off ship with one of the teams. Her thoughts were with her father, she could only imagine how Sthilg was feeling being back on his homeworld after so long.

The screen flicked to life as Sthilg appeared on the screen sitting in one of the runabouts seats " Hello, Homebase this is wizard. We've reached my home village, but we may have a potential diplomatic FUBAR sssituation going on here." the gorn stated calmly.

Alicia stood up from her seat. “Are you, and everyone else alright?” She looked worriedly at her father.

" Everyone isss fine my dear. Well everyone alive that isss. My home village and it'sss graveyard was desssicrated forty yearsss ago by ferengi graverobbersss. We think there may be more on the planet could you ssscan for Ferengi ssshipss." the lizard replied camly.

"Captain, this is Legate Alcean an Vantar. Indeed a scan will be helpful. I am currently trying to put together as much facts as I can for the Gorn Hegemony's diplomatic service. If I have enough proof, The Ferengi Alliance will not be able to disavow this so easily. They will have to hand over any involved in graverobbing or plundering of a Gorn burial site. I'd rather do this on the diplomatic level to avoid a direct military confrontation with the Alliance." Vanessa mentioned. Something neither side will want to get into. The Gorn will be interested in justice, not vengeance, and we can negotiate a resolution to this situation." Vanessa noted over the channel.

"We'll start a series of plantwide and system wide scans for any Ferengi life signs or warp signatures." Garrett replied as he nodded to a bridge officer to start the scans.

The gorn nooded. " Sssir they were looking for a Balakin it'sss an ancient machine very valuable to my people. If you find the main ssship of there'sss can you sssend sssomeone down to pull it's databankssss?" The gorn asked camly.

-Arcadia-

Kaden was down in his bar holding a bowl of fruit as he took a minute to check on the few patrons in the bar. The Holo staff was doing a good job keeping of top of things making sure everyone was having a good experience. As well keeping his bar clean and the drinks he offered properly made to his standards.

Heading into the lab he had to create drinks he set the bowl of fruit down taking a granny smith apple and took a bite. Before checking on his mixtures he made earlier for new flavoring to put in his next drinks he was working on. Grabbing a PADD he set the apple down sat up to go check his stills of moonshine.

As he got up a strange wave like anomaly passed thru the bulkhead of his lab. The apple and bowl of fruit started wither and rot before decomposing into dust. As Kaden was making notes the Anomaly passed by him settling over the regulator for his burners rotting away the seals to the gas. Till the flammable substance started to hiss free towards the lit burners.

Kaden was in the middle of his note when he not heard the hissing but the smell of the gas. Turning around he caught the Anomaly pass thru the bulkhead on the side of the lab he had to process what he saw before making a mad dash and jumping thru the window into his office as a explosion filled the lab.

The blast was contained mostly due to Kaden designing his lab to be able to withstand a explosion and chemical leak or bio-hazard attack. But caused the ship to rock which would certainly get everyone's attention. If not he fire alarm and suppression system kicked in sending an alert to the bridge would.

-Bridge-

On the an Ensign monitoring internal systems felt the ship rock slightly before an alarm started blaring. Checking his instruments he turned to Captain Lovejoy. "Captain, I got an explosion and fire alarm on deck 4 at the Arcadia."

Garrett, hit his com in the arm of the command chair. "Captain to damage control teams. We're reading and explosion and possible fire in the Arcadia bar. Proceed there at once." He tapped his com again. "Lovejoy to Arcadia bar, Mr. Ross we're reading and explosion up here. Damage control teams are on their way to your location. Is everyone alright done there?

There was no response from Kaden or anyone in the bar.

"Bridge to Ross, Are you there Mr. Ross?" Silence greeted Lovejoy's call. Acting quickly, Lovejoy contacted Sickbay. "Bridge to Sickbay, send a medical to to the Arcadia bar. There has been an explosion and fire and Mr. Ross is not replying."

The turbolift doors slid open as Kaden came stumbling out coughing with a few minor cuts. Holding of slightly burnt fruit bowl of something decomposed inside in one arm. "Captain, I apologize for coming here," The bartender coughed a few times. "I would of sent word but the explosion knocked out the comms near my bar."

Garrett turned in his seat as the lift doors parted and Kaden stumbled out. "Under these circumstances it is understandable Mr. Ross are you alright?"

"I am fine, can't say much for my bar." Kaden replied as he coughed a couple of times. "There a few injuries down there but the others are okay." He added clutching the fruit bowl.

Garrett nodded and waved Vise over to check Kaden out.

Vise left her station to check on Kaden pulling her scanner from her belt and grabbing the medical kit stored on the bridge. " What happened to the fruit bowl?" She inquired.

Alicia stepped forward offering to help Vise with the medical kit whilst she listened to what Kaden had to say about the fruit bowl.

"Strange thing this bowl was full of fresh fruit and I could swear I saw something in my lab before the explosion, like some sort of anomaly. It decomposed the fruit then the seals on my equipment and I swear to you those was brand new." Kaden replied as he took a seat.

Vise picked up her scanner and moved it to the fruit. Her eyes widened at what was being shown. " How how is that possible."

"I am no scientist just a humble barkeeper," Kaden coughed again. "Well, was a barkeeper..." He corrected himself with a frown.

"The bar will be repaired Mr. Ross, don't concern yourself with that. You will never it was damaged." Garrett told the bar tender.

"You're too kind, Captain, till my bar is repaired I am not one to sit around and go stir crazy. If you permit me I like to offer my services to you and your crew, Sir." Kaden said.

Garrett swiveled in his chair to better look at Kaden. "Indeed Mr. Ross. What did you have in mind? Serving drinks to the bridge crew?" Garrett questioned the bar owner with a thin smile.

Vise had an idea as she packed way the remains of the medical kit. " Mr. Ross i know this may be an odd question, but have you ever heard rumours of someone unearthing a Balakin? "

Kaden feeling much better rubbed his chin in thought. "Come to think of it during my travels I heard some Gorn mention of a Balakin at a bar I spent time working at. Word was some treasure hunter found one of many before vanishing without a trace." He raised an eyebrow. "What you got in mind and how can I help?"

"Other than serve drinks for all of you." Kaden quickly added shooting Garrett a look sticking his tongue out in a teasing manner.

Commander Vaii entered the lounge and looked around. "Ah... Shit... Kaden, Why did you have to go and blow up your bar. I liked it in here."

"Wasn't my idea, Vise, is currently analyzing the fruit bowl I brought to try to explain the anomaly I saw before blowing up my bar," Kaden replied.

" Well i'll need to take the scanner down to science bay because if what it's saying is true that's fruit has been in that bowl for over three months. " The trill explained.

The comms opened up. " Sir this is medical nurse Keahinat Ubrat hasn't reported for duty and the ship's computer can't find her." Came the rather worrying sound from medical.

"Oh hell no." Jess noted. "No way in hell are we going to let our bar get blown up by a goddess-damned fruit bowl. That's just insulting." Jess tapped her combadge. "Skipper, this is Vaii, we need to bring a nurse from medical in for questioning, one Keahimat Ubrat. She may be a saboture."

"It wasn't a saboture!" Kaden shouted. "I know what I saw and it was an anomaly that did this to my bar!"

"Easy Mr. Ross." Garrett spoke to the bar owner has he tapped his combadge. "Security this is the Captain. Locate and bring to the bridge one Keahimat Ubrat for questioning."

"Sorry, Captain," Kaden replied.

The computer began the affirmative sound before going into a flat tone of white noise." Error. Keahimat Ubrat is not on the ship."

" That's odd she was getting ready when i lasssssss..........." Vise began before a ripple seemingly formed just in front of her before slamming into the trill. Vise seemed to freeze in place whilst the consol in front and behind her seemed to bend and warp.

Kaden pulled a junior officer away from the ripple. "Garrett, the anomaly same as the one I saw in my distillery lab."

Garrett nodded as the anomaly rippled and warped, then disappeared. "Just what are we seeing? Opinions? Thoughts? Theories?" He asked the assembled officers.

Alicia looked towards Garrett “It almost appears to be temporal, is it possible that something is causing ripples in time here?”

"Good observation Counselor. If it is happening here, it very well could be happening all over the ship. Given the fact Mr. Ross says he saw a similar anomaly in the bar." Garrett replied.

Alicia nodded, moments later the ripple made another appearance and Alicia disappeared from the bridge.

Garrett looked back to say something more to Alicia but she was gone! "Where did the Counselor go?" He asked the others.

~ Somewhere ~

Alicia stood looking around, thick smoke filled the air and it took a few moments before she realised where she was. She was still on the bridge, but the smoke was thick, acrid, the smell of burning was choking. She walked forward tripping over something scrambling back as she found a dead body, burned beyond recognition. She wiped her hands on her uniform shaking her head, in the smoke filled atmosphere she could just about make out more bodies, more crew, there were moans from around her.

She walked tenderly around seeing familiar faces, some dead, some alive but in a bad way. She spent what seemed like forever just trying to make sense of it all before the smoke was gone and the air cleared...

~ Bridge, Now ~

Alicia reappeared on the bridge, coughing, and visually shaken by her experience as she looked around wondering just what in the hell had just happened.

"Counselor!" Garrett announced at Alicia's reappearance, "Are you alright? What happened?"

Alicia set eyes on Garrett, opening her mouth to speak she closed it again shaking her head. “I...” She slowly moved around to her seat, sitting down it took a moment before she could articulate what she wanted to say as she coughed out the smoke that had filled her lungs. “I was on the bridge....filled with smoke, such thick smoke...” She paused. “The crew were...dead, dying, I was about to ask what happened when I...came back here.” She looked around. “I am home, aren’t I?”

"Take it slow Counselor. Yes, your home. On the USS Elysium. Is there anything else you can tell us?" Garrett gently asked the shaken Alicia.

Alicia shook her head. “I don’t...think so. There was massive damage, the bridge stations were...destroyed, inoperative, environmental controls were obviously offline. I couldn’t see through the smoke.”

Behind Alcia and the still-frozen trill surgeon, the consol let out a familiar let alien beeping. No federation vessel used it anymore other than the museum ship that traveled around the sol system. The consol had changed into a perfect copy of it's counterpart from 2250's.

" ssssssssssaw her." Vise said suddenly being realized from whatever held her in stasis. The trill suddenly felt sick and dehydrated. Holding her head she tried to steady herself feeling rather off balance. Looking down the answer to one of the questions running through her head became obvious. Her uniform had changed and she was now clad in the familiar one piece miniskirt uniform of the 2250's. " What?" She managed to get out before collapsing into her station's chair.

“What in the hell??” Alicia hit her comm badge. “Medical team to the bridge!”

Jess suddenly felt strange and all of the sudden she felt a draft on her legs and.... Pantyhose... She stared at a old Copernicus Class Shuttle in the shuttlebay that suddenly replaced her bird. "Son of a bitch..."

The bridge coms systems began lighting up with a flurry of incidents being reported as vast parts of the ship seemed to be shifting in time and space.