Lock and Load

Posted on Mon 27th Aug, 2012 @ 3:34pm by Colonel Horatio Drake & Commander Paul Graves PsyD

778 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: http://sb109.sim-station.net/index.php/sim/missions/id/2
Location: USS Coldstream & USS Bretagne
Timeline: MD-02: 1536 Hours

ON:

The Runabout had docked ten minutes ago, Meadows had managed to effortlessly combine the two ships - the docking port was, indeed, where Ashton had thought it was. He had just given up on a power transfer to the Bretagne's Docking Hatch and was now getting ready to manually open the doors. Meadows had come through to the aft section and was nearly finished with his EVA suit.

Ashton stood near the weapons locker, examining a blueprint of the ship. "Mr. Meadows, being on the rear-starboard side of the ship, how long do you think it will take us to navigate the Jeffries Tubes to get to the Bridge?".

Meadows was now attaching the manual suction clamps to the doors. "Roughly three to four hours, sir," he replied without even thinking about his response.

"Very well... " Ashton took a second to contemplate the best course of action before opening the weapons locker and pulling out a rifle before throwing it to Meadows. "You'll head to Main Engineering, Mr. Meadows... see if there's something you can do about our power situation. Lieutenant Graves and I will head to the Bridge." He finished as he saw Graves sliding a portable power pack onto his back in order to power up individual terminals upon reaching the Bridge.

Meadows and Drake had already equipped their belts with phasers and tricorders. The Danube Class Runabout was only complemented with two phaser rifles. Drake took the second one and checked its power source after activating it.

"Expecting trouble, sir?" Paul inquired. At this point, he hadn't attached anything to his belt.

Drake fully intended to let him decide whether to carry a weapon or not. "I hope not, Lieutenant... I hope not," was his sombre reply.

Paul nodded and selected a type 2 phaser from the weapons locker with no hesitation. He verified that it was charged and holstered it Then he gathered a medikit, tricorder, and a small toolkit. "Ready," he said to the other two men.

Raising an eyebrow, Ashton slammed the power source back into his phaser rifle as Meadows released the clamping mechanisms to the doors. As the minute difference in pressure equalised, there was a slight breeze, Meadows had his tricorder up straight away... Ashton kept his rifle gripped.

Paul kept his phaser drawn, as well. The Bretagne had presumably been in the Typhon Expanse for a century or so. With no power, he didn't see how anything could survive--yet he had come along because of the possibility of life, and intelligent life isolated for a century was not likely to regard strangers with friendliness.

"As we thought, sir... life support isn't online. I'm also detecting tiny micro-fractures in the inner hull which are consistent with how long she's been adrift for," Meadows informed them.

As the three officers cautiously stepped into the corridor leading away from the docking port, Ashton could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins. Holding a rifle once again, being this alert and allowing the training to take over was... in his experience... what he loved about being in Starfleet.... or what he used to love.

As they progressed Ashton noted how eerie it was... he had been in simulations before when the power was down on a starship, but the red alert strobing lights and emergency blue side-lighting had always been illuminated - this corridor was completely pitch-black. The only source of light came from the lights on their helmets, wrist lights, and the light from Ashton's rifle - Meadows had secured his on his back.

As they turned the first corner and the docking port went out of view, a chill so intense it shook him, ran down Ashton's back - raising his rifle to get a better view of the corridor ahead, it seemed that instinct and training kicked in as hard as a boot to the head.

He raised his fist to give all three the indication to stop and be on alert. Why he did this, he was unaware - the comms. system was enclosed, no one could hear them if they were to speak, and their lights gave their position away anyway - he supposed it was just instinct.

"Everyone down... weapons ready." The three officers dropped into crouching positions as Ashton placed his finger on the trigger, ready to fire.

Something flashed through Paul's senses, so swiftly he couldn't identify it. He could feel the minds of Drake and Meadows near him, both as alert as he. But he also felt something...else, so faint and so tenuous couldn't swear to what it was.

"Sir, I am feeling something...unidentified," Paul said in a low voice.

OFF:

 

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