Too Close for Comfort, Conclusion

Posted on Sat 30th Sep, 2023 @ 2:11pm by Commander Zed & Elizabeth Anderson M.D. & Renato Solis

1,388 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Neither Yours Nor Mine
Location: USS Thunderchild/ USS Comfort somewhere near the Abrades System
Timeline: MD15 1155 hours

{Thunderchild- Bridge}

The Thunderchild was coming in hot. The Specialty teams were waiting for the signal to transport over and dispatch or detain any hostiles. A ship that big with that many people would take quite a while. "Captain! the Comfort is hailing us, they say they have control of the ship now."

"Understood, I want to speak to their Captain, right now," Zed replied.

During the seconds they waited, Elizabeth thought, How close a call Comfort just had, and how much work good men and women managed in order to pull out of that trap!

On her own, Anderson didn't want to interrupt the conversation about to take place. I really hope Zed finds out if the ... pirates? got away with anything, and what it was that they wanted so badly.

None of her circuits could come up with a logical answer to those questions. Or had input to tell her if they'd lost any of those good men and women.

The screen blinked on, several of the security detail who had retaken the bridge were evident, Gladstone had clearly been pulled from repairs.

"Gladstone here, That's a hell of a rescue your people pulled off Captain...." The image of the stern Vulcan reminded him, "...oh my, Captain Zed?"

Tunderchild swung wide and came up beside the Comfort. =A=Commander Zed, do we know each other, Captain?=A=

Zed tried to quickly recall if she had ever met the man, but she wasn't sure at the moment. She looked down at her arm console and observed the blinking green light. If she pushed it, Specialty teams would beam over and begin their searches and would secure the Comfort, but she waited to do so and would apprise the teams with an update before they transported over.

Her face reminded him of the daughter long lost to him, but Gladstone spoke quickly, emotions a luxury for another time. ”Yes, I know you from a case you were an examiner for. We can chat later. Our security teams report decks are clear, and second searches are underway. We put a tracking agent in the case straps. I’ve got the telemetry data on feed now, send a few more troops if you like but go get those bastards.”

=A=Negative Captain, the Comfort is now my priority. We do need to make absolutely sure that no pirates are left aboard. We will use a combination of Thunderchild's sensors and security team sweeps. We need to try to get warp restored to the Comfort within the next few hours and, if we are unsuccessful, then Thunderchild will provide a tow to Starbase 109. We will not leave the Comfort unguarded for any reason. Do I make myself clear?=A= Zed was serious about what she said. They would not go after the pirates no matter what the pirates may have done until the Comfort was safe.

He took a half second to swallow everything he felt at letting them get away. The signal decay would last a few more hours at best. “Acknowledged, Thunderchild, and thanks again for the save. Wards are in lockdown, no breaches detected, accepting your command authorization to synchronize sensor suites.”

The Comfort had command synchronization so they could be operated remotely. By linking, the main computers of both vessels shared resources and optimized their processes. The new scan resolution pierced the jammer signals still errant around them and detailed information poured in from previously obscured areas.

=A=While we wait for the searches to be completed and the reports to come in, why don't you join me in my Ready Room for some refreshments?=A= Zed asked before she was interrupted.

"Captain, they have detained a few Pirates in one of their Cargo Bays." The Ops Officer said.

Zed turned back to the viewscreen, =A=Captain, drop your containment field around that Cargo Bay. so I can have the prisoners transported to the Thunderchild's Brig.=A=

Dr. Anderson was relaxed now that the excitement was over. She still had questions, but there was no logical reason for her to join Zed and Comfort's officer for refreshments she didn't actually want or need. She wanted answers, but, again, there was no logic that dictated her presence. She'd have to hope enough information trickled down to her that she could put together some ideas for the pirates' motivations and objectives.

On the Comfort's bridge, Captain Gladstone wasted no time. “Chin-Ro, drop countermeasures on Cargo Bay 1, site to site through brig and over to Thunderchild, do not let the beam get intercepted. Abalasz, get long-range scanning for cloaked emissions!"

The Trill was already scanning. “Sensors detect open space, Thunderchild attempting similar scans, Pallatso…”

Commander Abalasz stopped at the site of their Engineer, a kind man of rough comport and a heart of gold. Silent, stoic, stupid, he had nearly lost consciousness by the time notice was taken of his severely wounded right arm. The fingers had curled inwards in a rictus, black patterned shapes evident in the subdermal flesh and a gaping hole in the meat of the forearm. Despite this, the burned stump known as “Pally” had not said a word, silently managing his pain without admitting he was on the verge of passing out.

If there was any place to get shot, it was in a hospital, but the scorch and lighting fractal pattern showed ionic discharges had burned him inside and out. Sutoll moved swiftly, already carrying a medical kit, coaxing Pallatso into sitting down. With very little subterfuge, Sutoll pressed a hypo on his neck and used the textile separators to remove the sleeve all the way to the elbow. As the stocky sapper blissfully fell asleep, Sutoll scanned and examined. Peeling up the sleeve gingerly, the black marks were tracked to just above the elbow.

The Vulcan spoke in the usual fashion, coldly announcing “We must remove the arm, the injury has no chance to recover.”

Gladstone metaphorically threw his sucker in the dirt. “You’re the premier trauma surgeon in the sector right now, do what you have to, but I expect this man to be back on duty soon with full lifting capacity understood?!”

He hoped Pallatso could still hear, the rousing words were meant for him to benefit from, but the sentiment was also honest.

Sutoll continued to work and Gladstone tuned in to hear Chin-Ro.

Commander Abalasz reported, “Thunderchild has certified they detect nothing in the vicinity.“

Chin-Ro called over the din, “Security teams have converged at Cargo Bay 1. Dropping containment fields.…"


{Thunderchild}

The transport went off without a hitch, =A= Lieutenant Williams to the Bridge; our guests are tucked away in their cells.=A=

Zed tapped her comm badge, =A=Thank you Lieutenant, Zed out.=A=

Zed glanced back toward the Operation Officer, "Hail Comfort and have them prepare to be towed. I don't want them to be out here a moment longer than need be."

"Yes ma'am." Came the reply from the enthusiastic Operations Officer before he sent over the message on a secure channel. "The Comfort says they are ready, ma'am."

Zed nodded, before tapping her comm badge, =A=Zed to Engineering.=A=

=A=Engineering here, go ahead, Captain.=A= Replied the Chief Engineer, Lieutenant Commander Brian Coultrain.

=A=We're going to be towing the USS Comfort at warp all the way back to SB109, please make sure we have enough power for all necessary systems and keep a close eye on the tractor beam. I want this to go off without a hitch.=A= Zed replied. Although none of the systems had acted up in the past, this was the first time the Thunderchild would two another ship at warp.

=A=I'll keep an eye on things personally, Captain.=A= Brian replied.

=A=Thank you Commander, Zed out.=A= She closed the channel and glanced back over to the Operations Officer. "Get a tractor beam on that ship and let's get out of here, warp 3."

"Tractor beam activated, we got here," Ops replied.

The helmsman was smart and Zed knew it. Lieutenant Mitchel activated the warp engines. "Warp one, heading for warp two and then three."

Zed sighed softly as she sank back into her seat. Things could have gone way worse than they did and she was grateful that they hadn't.

 

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