Alone Again

Posted on Wed Nov 30th, 2022 @ 8:13pm by Legate Imik S'Niohun [Lia Taylor]

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Acadia Lounge
Timeline: MD 3. 01:30 - 04:00
2304 words - 4.6 OF Standard Post Measure

CPO Sean O’Keefe found his way to the lounge. He preferred drinking with someone else; it was more fun that way. Tonight, he was alone, which was dangerous because of how much he felt like drinking.

He was already on his third double. He was trying to forget the events of the past two days. Even his weapon collection had failed to sooth him. He felt miserable; of the three W’s, women, weapons, and whiskey, only whiskey was helping.

Imik now entered the lounge, she came here to People Watch. Walking up to the bar she spoke to the barman, "Blessings on your family Robert, may I have my usual Chocolate Milkshake please?" Robert turned and smiled, "Legate Imik, blessings on your family. And one milkshake coming right up, sitting at your normal table?" Imik nodded, "Yes, and thank you for your service." She now made her way to a small table in the corner of the bar, next to a picture window out into space.

Sean had his head in the palms of his hands, trying to make sense of the last few days. When he heard the name Imik, he took a side glance. His eyes were focused downward, so O’Keefe saw three long shapely legs.

Sean glanced back at his drink on the bar, mentally counting how many he had. Satisfied this was only this third double, and not enough to have him seeing double, O’Keefe grinned and shook his head. He glanced a second time, this one upward into that coffee toned face surrounded by the white hair. And those violet eyes, piercing him even though she was not looking at him. He remembered how mesmerized he had been seeing her picture on her bio. He was even more mesmerized now that he has seen her in person.

O’Keefe watched as Imik seemed to glide to her table. Picking up his drink, the CPO made his way to her table. “Legate S’Nio’un…,” Sean paused until he saw those piercing violet eyes glance at him, “I be Chief Petty Officer Sean Conner O’Keefe. I ‘ave been loo’in for’rd ta meetin’ ye. My CO an’ the Capt’in speaks’ ‘ighly of ye.”

As Sean was about to take a swig from his glass, a strong force seemed to push Sean forward. His arm lurched in the same direction, throwing the whiskey into Imik’s face. Imik herself was being thrown from her seat. O’Keefe attempted to brace himself upon the table, but Imik’s milkshake was now splattered upon it. Sean’s hand slid across the table, and he was thrown over it landing atop of Imik, his hands inadvertently grasping her breasts. Sean saw himself looking into those piercing violet eyes, his body between her legs.

Sean looked into those eyes, saying, “Now this be a compr’misin’ sit’ation.” He removed his hands from their lock upon Imik’s breasts. “‘Though I do nae min’ bein’ atop a beaut’ful lady, I think’ we nee’ ta fin’ out w’at ‘appended!”

O’Keefe rolled off the mesmerizing Imik, then turned to her. “Are ye okay?” the CPO asked the Legate.

Imik was about to reply when the world suddenly seemed to lurch, and the human now appeared between her legs and atop of her grasping a very private part. Her mind went into defense mode instantly, but somehow Imik stopped herself instinctively killing this alien who had defiled her. "Consider yourself lucky Human, my training has prevented your death at my hands." She waited as he removed himself and then responded to his question, "I am fine at this time, but your observation of finding out what has occurred would be a prudent course of action."

She crossed to the bar and looked behind it, "Robert is unconscious but appears otherwise unhurt, are you unhurt Chief?" Imik decided it would be polite to ask that question now she was free of this Human, his aroma of sweat and alcohol assaulted her sense of smell. "Perhaps we should attempt to contact the bridge and get a report of what has occurred." Her hand went to where the communicator should be, but it was now missing. She looked at where she had been sat only to see it broken on the floor, "Chief, my communicator has been damaged. Is yours operational?"

O’Keefe was quickly sobering up. Looking down at his comm badge, he saw that it was still intact. Tapping it, Sean spoke into it, “O’Keefe to the bridge!” There was no response, so he tried, “O’Keefe to sec’ur’ty.” After a pause, there was still no response.

Taking another tactic, the Chief calmly commanded, “Computer!” The computer didn’t respond. “Av’lon! Av’lon! Are you wor’in?”

Sean’s face paled as he looked to the Legate. “It seems e’r’thing be offline. Somethin’ serious ‘as ‘appended. Che’ the door.”

Imik crossed to the door, nothing happened as she reached it, "The door would appear to be inoperative, which leads me to assume we must take any action by ourselves. Do you have any suggestions Chief?"

“Shite!” Sean muttered. “This be serious ifin we be on lo’down.” He thought a moment, before saying, “Secur’ty be nine de’s down. The bridge be eigh’ up. There be a trap to th’ jefferies tube be’ind th’ bar. Since systems bbe down, we’ll need’ ta ta’ tha’ route. Up or down?”

"I could assist in a small way, my species has an ability to mind walk. I could see which way would be best to travel in." She turned to see what O'Keefe would say or do.

Sean looked about the lounge, tables and chair strewn all about the place. The bottles were thrown from the shelf and smashed upon the floor, all the good stuff poured out upon the floor. Sean shook his head seeing such a waste.

“I ‘and ‘eard you ‘ad a special gif’,” O’Keefe said with a grin. “Tell me w’at ye see.”

Imik now focused her mind and began to mind walk out of the lounge, she checked first one direction then the other. But nothing looked promising, checking the downward rout she noted a Compleat blockage not far from the lounge door. Then Imik checked the upward rout, although it would be tight progress could be made. She now returned to the lounge, taking a breath she now opened her eyes and looked at O'Keefe. "It would appear we go up Chief, but first we have to get the doors open. And do we leave Robert behind, or take him with us?"

Although he wouldn’t have minded being alone with Imik, his sense of duty took over. They could travel faster without him, but Sean didn’t know what was happening. If they were dead in space and someone was boarding them, O’Keefe couldn’t leave Robert alone and defenseless. “We’ll new’ ta ta’e ‘im.Jes’ta be sure,” he says inquired of Imik, “The main doors or the trap to the Jeff’ries?”

"I would suggest the Jefferies tubes, they may have escaped most of the serious damage." Imik stated, "But moving Robert within them may be difficult."

O’Keefe understood her line of reasoning. Sean had thought he could tie something underneath Robert’s arms and pull him up the shafts inside the Jefferies tube. He realized though, it would take a great toll upon his strength to pull the man up so many decks.

How could he protect the man? Suddenly, Sean got a bright idea. They would hide him in the storage space below them.

The Chief walked behind the bar. He knelt by the trap, which led down to the lounge’s storage. Lifting and twisting the handle, the latch unlocked. He pulled the trap upward and jumped to the storage area. Looking around, Sean saw multiple broken bottles and kegs loosened from the taps. Finding a dry area, O’Keefe grinned, content with his decision.

Sean popped up and pulled himself back up. “We’ll s’cure ‘im b’low,” Sean offered. “Ifin an intruder enters th’ lounge, they won’ know Robert will be b’low.”

O’Keefe got behind Robert, gave him a bear hug, and dragged him to where Robert’s feet dangled over the hole. He lowered Robert gently to the floor. Sean lowered himself grabbing Robert’s feet, pulling Robert slowly down with him. Once Robert was neatly sitting against a row of kegs.

Sean returned and looked up above him, encouraging Imik, holding a hand up to her, “Care to join me?”

"I would like this situation to be over, but as that outcome is not about to happen. I will agree to join you." Moving her skirt to one side, Imik held on to O'Keefe by one hand and the side of the hole with the other. Lowering herself she reached the floor, but her skirt was now caught exposing rather more than Imik wished. A gentle tug and her skirt came lose, "I apologize, but when I dressed for my visit here. I did not intend to indulge in these sort of actions."

“Aye!” Sean agreed, taking too long a gander at those coffee-toned, shapely legs. He wouldn’t admit it, but he had a quick glimpse of her arse as well. “I’d ra’her be indulged in something else too! Ye nee’ nae apol’gize. Yer gams be deadly!”

Sean held onto her hand long enough that he realized it may have made her uncomfortable. He quickly let go and pointed to a small opening toward the catwalk they would need to take to the accommodation ladder that would take them upward. “Tha’s where we nee’ ta go.”

Sean led the way. He stopped once he was upon the catwalk just to glance at the console that showed the ship-wide damage. “Jaysus!” Sean exclaimed. “This looks li’e it’ll ta’e some ogeous ‘andlin’!”

Reclaiming her hand, Imik now scanned the Humans mind. His thoughts made her realise that he had an unhealthy attraction towards her, in fact his notions were of a sexual kind. She fixed him with a stare and out right asked him his intentions, "Chief O'Keefe, just why do you fantasize over my body? What has attracted you to it?" Her stance was one of defense, and she now moved a little more slowly not really knowing if this alien had other idea's on what was about to happen between them.

O'Keefe's reaction to the damage the Elysium had suffered, made Imik see that the Human still could do his job. But it didn't make her feel any safer in her feelings towards him. Checking the console herself, she now saw how badly the vessel has suffered and how much more difficult it would be to reach their destination. "Our journey maybe much more difficult and prolonged if these readings are correct, do you have an alterative course of action should we become trapped or heavily delayed?"

Sean looked at Imik with a boyish grin, as if he was just found with his hand in the cookie jar. “Nae worries, Legate,” the Irishman explained. “I be a staunch admirer o’ the female form. Howe’er, I be a perfe’t gen’leman. Naethin’ ‘apena b’twixt us unless it be mutual.”

O’Keefe looked to the panel. Obviously, getting to anywhere would be a difficult task. This much damage may indicate evacuation to the escape pods. Would they have access to those escape pods with this much damage? He knew with the systems down they would be on limited life support. For all he knew, the Commodore could have issued the abandon ship, but with communications down, no one knew.

“Legate?” Sean inquired. Just her title drew his mind back to her three long, shapely legs. “That thing you do, can ye see if we can git to an emergency shelter or be it the bridge our bes’ route?”

The Ojnas listened as O'Keefe spoke, "You admire the female form, but only act if consent is given. Very admiral of you Chief, but I must disappoint you as my mating season is over for this year." Imik smiled as she spoke, and hoped the Chief would understand her weak humour.

"As for seeing our best route, yes I could mind walk forwards. Which direction do you believe is the best to travel in?" She herself wanted to head for the Shuttle bay and board her fighter, at the very least it would help protect the Elysium.

Sean rubbed the stubble on his chin as he thought. “‘Less systems come ba’ online, we’re gonna lose life s’port soon. We ‘ave no way of knowin’ if the Commodore ordered evacuation. ‘Ell! She migh’ e’en be dead wit this damage. May be bes’ ta fin’ a way off?” His last statement was a question to prove for Imik’s opinion.

Glancing at the console, Imik pointed to the Shuttle bay. "I would head here Chief, you could board a shuttle while I find my fighter. Once clear you might be able to beam survivors onto the shuttle, and my fighter would provide protection." She then mind walked in the general direction of the Shuttle bay, it proved reasonably clear for some distance. Returning, Imik turned to face O'Keefe, "I have walked towards the Shuttle bay, and it seems clear for most of the way. Only one or two difficult places, but we can get through if we work together."

“Aye!” Sean agreed, stretching forth his hand for a friendly shake. “It be a pleasure working’ aside ye.”


____________

To Be Continued